Always and Forever
by Rosabella98
Summary: This was them. Klaus and Caroline, push and pull, back and forth from good and evil. The thrill of the chase by the big bad hybrid countered by the memories of the pain he'd caused. Always tied together by flirtatious bantering and grand gestures. This is the story of how the find their middle ground, accompanied by friends and former enemies alike. (Kalijah, Stebekah, Matt, Delena
1. A Twisted Fantasy

**Chapter One- A Twisted Fantasy**

She was expecting something different from her hot tempered brother. Actually, she wasn't expecting much beyond death in this cursed graveyard, yet it seemed even after a thousand years Rebekah Mikaelson did not know her brother as well as she thought. It was these moments that had in the past inspired her to fight harder for the human brother who had been her rock, her comfort, her hero. The cracks that sometimes opened up in the monster's façade and her Nik shone through, now that was her brother. The white oak blade, embedded up to the hilt in her ribcage, stung like nothing the blonde Mikaelson had ever experienced in her lifetime, but in the moment, she didn't feel it. This was the closest that she had ever come to dying, since she had always been sheltered by her brothers and her many lovers from her father's relentless pursuit. The rush of adrenaline that came from being alive, from staring death in the face and living another minute made her feel vulnerable and alive, and oh, so very human. This was the feeling that she had looked and hoped for in her search for the cure, this appreciation for every breath of her immortal body. She had envied humans, with their numbered amounts of seconds, rushing to make every last one count. Maybe it was coming so close to death, or just the finality of it, but she was now thankful that the cure had not ended up in her hands. What a way to end a thousand years of messed up family drama, a cure and a slow decay into death like Katherine Pierce.

Her brother finally appeared as she turned the corner. The graveyard they had been trapped in by that cursed witch was appropriately eerie that her artistic brother probably felt it justice that here their fate as a family would be decided. Would it survive this latest betrayal, or would it decay just like the bones of witches past? As the lamplight chased away the shadows, she finally saw what held Klaus's attention. Elijah lay on the ground, softly whimpering as his face twisted in a gruesome grimace of pain. A long, jagged cut on his ribcage revealed the cause of his suffering: Papa Tunde's blade lay within him as a single act of revenge by Klaus. Always the noble brother, standing up for Rebekah at his own peril in this dark cemetery and this was his thanks. But, as Rebekah watched, a single tear rolled down Klaus's cheek as he bent down to remove the dagger. Their family was so broken that by now, an eye for an eye was their only code. But even her most ruthless brother seemed to regret it as he stood alone.

"Brother." She said, stepping out of the shadows. If even Klaus seemed to regret his actions, maybe there was hope for them as a family. Maybe Elijah was right, and there was hope even for her beloved brother. Or maybe she was just repeating the same mistake she had made for a thousand years, ignoring her brother's faults in hope of his redemption. This time, it seemed the stakes were higher than ever, with her brother's child on the way and over half her family gone. Maybe this was the time Rebekah would be proved right. Then again, maybe not. This was Klaus after all, and he had descended deeper into darkness than anyone. Always and forever they had sworn over a patch of freshly dug earth over a thousand years ago, and Rebekah may have broken many promises, but she had yet to break that particular one.

"Rebekah." Klaus replied with a growl, her name coming out in its own unique way with his rich accent. It had been soothing to her as a little girl to hear him call her, but now it was just a sign of how much things had changed since her betrayal.

"You missed my heart" she said, coming closer to him.

"Perhaps I did...or perhaps I never meant to kill you. Perhaps I just wanted you to feel a fraction of the fear I felt when father came for me." Klaus replied, clenching his show to not show weakness in front of his little sister. He had sworn to protect her the day she had been born, and had kept that promise for a thousand years. Her betrayal had been the unkindest one of all, the blow he had never seen coming. And now he was broken, a piece of his heart missing, perhaps forever. "I love my family. You, Elijah. I loved all of you. I know I can be difficult, but I did not make myself this way. It was Mikael who ruined me."

"He ruined me, too. That's what you forget.. Centuries later, each of us is broken. You with your anger and paranoia, me with my fear of abandonment, and poor Elijah- he dedicates himself to everyone but himself. We are the strongest creatures in the world and yet we are damaged beyond repair We live without hope. We are the definition of cursed. Always and forever" Rebekah replies, trying to gauge her brother's reactions and at the same time, finally saying what she had been waiting perhaps centuries for. "Whatever it is you're going to do, do it now." Her brother seemed to flinch at her harsh words, his already clenched jaw locking and a tear slowly falling down his cheek. His temper, mellowed by the time alone was once again rising, evidenced by the gold flecks in his normally clear blue eyes. Rebekah's eyes too were clouded by the shadow of tears, her vision blurry as she spoke a long held truth.

"You said our father ruined us, yet I can't help but wonder if his father ruined him. The barrier is down" Klaus said with a quiet voice.

"I know you hate me," Rebekah states just as softly. "But what's done is done. I can't undo what I did."

"What was done is never done. It remains within us. The story we tell ourselves. Vicious father. Bastard son. The sister who betrayed him. Perhaps it's time for a new story. We tell ourselves the story so we know who we are." Klaus said with a wry twist of his lips, his gaze held by the opening gates of the cemetery. "What is that you want, Rebekah?" he asked as he turned back around to face his sister.

"I want the same things I wanted as a child," Rebekah admits with a wistful look, recalling her life before becoming a member of the living dead. "A home. Someone who loves me. I want my own family. And I want to _live_."

Klaus moved his head in an almost subtle nod at her words. "Then go. Go far away and never come back. We are far too damaged to remain together. No more a family than a volatile mix of ingredients."

"New Orleans will be mine and I will raise my child here, in the city you took from me. No doubt Elijah will choose to stay. But you, sister, you're free." He continued almost as an afterthought. His words were harsh, yet his eyes told a different story. They were grey with sorrow at their imminent parting, and Rebekah could read within them the gift that she had been granted. Her controlling brother had finally set her free of the promise she had sworn a millennium ago, finally realized what it meant to love someone.

Rebekah took a step forward, past the brother that despite all she still loved best, and felt his gaze burning into her back. The gates of the cemetery beckoned with a sense of pure freedom, and yet something held her back. Just a day before she was telling Marcel how there was no hope left for Klaus, how the brother who had comforted her as a little girl was no more, and yet here he was, letting her go. Despite her betrayal, despite her promise, despite everything that they had been through together, Klaus was willing to put his own nature aside, his own promise in order to give her a chance at the life she'd craved for so very long. And that made Rebekah stop, one step away from the gate, one step away from a life away from her family.

Over the last two centuries, she had often mocked Elijah for wanting to see the best in Klaus, for thinking there was still a part of their brother that wished to be redeemed. She had seen glimpses of that side with Marcel, with her brother's unborn baby, heck, even with that blonde cheerleader in Mystic Falls. Yet, it was one step away from complete and utter freedom that she realized that they were all wrong. Klaus did not need to be redeemed, because underneath a thousand years' worth of armor, of bravado, of anger and hurt, the brother they had known still waited for someone to coax him out. The hybrid needed love and support from those he loved most, and Rebekah realized her own fault in that department. Each fight, each disagreement had led to an endless cycle of lashing out and running away from both of them, and here she was, repeating yet another mistake.

"No." She said, turning around and shaking her head. "No, you don't get to do that. You don't get to boss me and bully me around for a thousand years, driving away any chance at happiness I might have had just to keep me close only to let me go. We swore around a grave, and I might have failed at being a good sister, might have betrayed you, but I will stand by your side until fire or ice overtake this Earth."

"Rebekah" Klaus warned, a low growl in his voice. "Don't test me. I've finally granted your wish, let you leave alive from this cemetery after your betrayal."

"You don't let me do anything. I'm a thousand year old Original vampire, have seen kingdoms and empires rise and fall, and I survived them all. I chose my own future, and I chose to spend it with my family- you, Elijah, my unborn baby niece- here in New Orleans. I might have to wait centuries to regain your trust, brother, but I will not be forced away from my family and the only home I've ever known."

"What about all your hopes and dreams of building yourself a life, a family of your own? What about that great love that you've been chasing for the past millennium?" Klaus asked, his voice showing no sign of an inner softening.

"That will come on its own time. Family is all I've searched for, and it took believing my death was imminent to realize that I've had it all along and thrown it away. I want it, Nik, want to mend the broken cracks that this family has been trying to hide for too long." Rebekah said, almost pleading, trying to remind her brother of all the good times with her pet name. "Always and forever, remember?" She said, throwing back her words from earlier in the night.

"Always and forever, brother" Elijah echoed, brushing off his now dirtied suit with a grimace as the dagger wound healed. He joined them, assuming a similar position to the ones they'd held a thousand years before, and he extended a hand to each of them. Rebekah took it with no hesitation, and extended her other one towards Klaus. He looked at the proffered hands, his jaw locking and unlocking, as his eyes showed a little bit of his inner struggle. Finally, he grasped both hands firmly if reluctantly.

"Always and forever" he said almost mockingly. "The dysfunctional family lives on for another thousand years. The bastard brother, the traitor sister, and the brother who denies his nature." He mocked them, his caustic words hiding the real hurt that had festered for so long.

"No, brother, another thousand years spent healing the wounds of the last." Elijah said.

"Always and forever as a family this time, Nik" Rebekah echoed.

"It's a fool's dream and you both know it, but always and forever." Klaus finally promised.

Unseen by any living in the cemetery, two shadows silently promised the same as they joined the small circle.

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Katherine woke up in a dark and almost dank place. It reminded her of the several unsavory prisons she had visited during her tenure as the world's most wanted vampire, but a thousand times worse, since this place gave her an acute sense of claustrophobia. She hadn't realized that dead people slept and woke up again. As the fog from her head cleared, she realized that she wasn't on the Other Side, and yet she was very much dead. It seemed as if the universe was denying Katerina Petrova her happy ending even in death. Shadows cloaked her and an evil sound followed her, driving her insane. She covered her ears, trying to block it out, but it just got louder and louder. With a flash of vampiric speed, she ran in any direction to get away from the noise, but it seemed to follow her everywhere she went. Faster and faster she went, into a tunnel of never-ending shadow, shifting and mocking her at every twist and turn. It was truly hell that she had been consigned to. Glancing back, Katherine realized that she had not moved a single meter away from her destination, but rather had run in place due to the shifting shadows. With a growl of anger, she kicked at the air, and was surprised when her fist connected with a rather solid object. Her eyes traveled up from a muscular chest to a familiar face and she gasped in surprise.

"Now, is that anyway to greet a fellow inmate?" a familiar yet not voice said, mocking her. "Welcome to hell!"

AN**: You didn't actually think that Katherine would stay dead right? Or Rebekah left her family high and dry in NOLA? This fic should be canon compliant up to 5x15 of TVD and 1x16 of TO, but as you saw, I'll recap TO for those that don't watch. After that, it will all get crazy, so let me know what you think in the comments!**


	2. Consequences

**Chapter Two- Consequences**

**AN: Just as a heads up, I'm looking for a beta, so if anyone is interested, PM me. Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm trying to reply to all of your lovely thoughts, but some of your PMs are not working, so I'm going to post my replies here… [Feel free to skip this section]**

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**ZodiacsKlarikine: Thank you for your lovely comment! I think this chapter will answer your question about Katherine's new friend, and Kol did make a small appearance last chapter… (Don't worry I have great plans for his return). As for Markos? Wait and see!**

**Guest: Thanks for your comment! Stebekah is on its way, even though it might take a while because this is a slow burn story! (And thanks to the other guests who enjoyed the story!)**

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It was moments like these that made Caroline wish for Katherine-as-Elena back. It seemed that no matter how many times her best friend made a "final" choice between the brothers, some kind of cosmic forced intervened to send her right back into the arms of the other. Of course, this time it was just Damon's stupidity and anger management issues, but still. You'd think the girl would have either a stronger resolve or better common sense.

"I mean, how could I ever forgive him for killing Aaron, a person I knew, a friend?" Elena said, pacing in front of her blond best friend, separated by bars in the Salvatore basement/dungeon extraordinaire. Caroline resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead silently nodded her support for what felt the hundredth time.

"But at the same time, we've all done terrible things, and he thought I had just broken up with him… Arghh this is all just Katherine's fault!" Elena said, slamming into the bars. Her vampire face had come out as she was ranting, probably brought on by the hunger that seemed to be ever part of her. Since she had been injected by a stronger version of the virus, it seemed she needed to be fed a lot more often than Damon, about enough blood to kill a vampire every hour or so. Unable to find a steady supply, the brunette was slowly starving to death in the cell.

Caroline wasn't surprised to find her best friend trying to find the good in bad people like Damon- no, that was the great part about Elena- but she was surprised at how much the other girl was willing to overlook in the name of love. In Caroline's opinion, Damon was even worse than Klaus in some ways. Sure, he wasn't a mass murder with anger management problems nor did he cart his family around in coffins, but at least Klaus had never hurt anyone that she loved since they had become acquainted. Rather, Klaus had gone the extra mile, showing compassion to those that crossed him just for her sake, and even at his angriest, had never taken it out on her. Damon was the opposite, pretending to be good one moment and the minute something did not go his way he lashed out at anyone near him. Aaron, Vicky, Alaric, Jeremy, Caroline herself and even Stefan had borne the brunt of that, people that Elena cared about, and yet it seemed that with every indiscretion, her friend found something to forgive or someone to blame it on. Caroline envied that about her friend, her ability to put it all aside, because then her own internal struggle about a certain Original would be so much easier_. Didn't stop you from enjoying all of him…_ She quickly hushed the traitorous thought. Now was not the time to think of _that_. If she could just forgive him his past, his history both with Mystic Falls and beyond, then she would probably already be on the next flight to New Orleans, because the side he'd shown her was something she so desperately wanted, craved, that she feared she might do something rash one of these days and actually take him up on his offer.

"Caroline. Caroline! Are you even listening to me?" Elena demanded.

"Yes, Damon's a psychopath but you still want to see the good in him…" Caroline replied, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

"What do you think I should do then?" Elena asked, calming down a little bit as she sat on one side of the bars that kept them apart.

"Honestly?" Caroline asked, and at a subtle nod from her friend, she continued, "I think you've already made up your mind to forgive Damon and you just need me to help you justify all the horrible things he's done. And, I'm sorry Elena, but I'm not going to help you do that, because this is classic Damon, and you refuse to see it." Caroline said, standing up.

"But Caroline, he's different when he's with me. I can't just give up on him, don't you get that at all?"

Caroline desperately wanted to say that no, she didn't get it, did not get why Elena could still be fooled by Damon's blue eyes and handsome smirk, when another pair of blue eyes and irresistible dimples flashed before her mind. She'd be lying to her friend to say that she hadn't wanted to find the good in someone to justify the immense evil, and yet Elena would never get it, because to her, Klaus was still the devil personified. "Maybe I do, but I will never support the idea of you and Damon, Elena. You are my best friend, and if he makes you happy, then I'm happy for you, but see it from my point of view. He compelled me, fed on me, and practically raped me for weeks and now I'm supposed to see him as a good guy?"

Elena seemed to think for a moment about it, taken aback at the still raw emotion in her friend's voice. It was true that she tended to airbrush Damon's past, but he had shown her a change since those days that she could not let go of. "He does though, Caroline. When I'm with him, I feel this freedom, this-this sense that maybe I will actually live long enough to escape this town."

"Then do what makes you happy, 'Lena, and I will stand by you." Caroline said, turning away to go back upstairs and be relieved of guard duty.

"When you said that you understand, you were thinking of Klaus, weren't you?" Elena asked softly.

Caroline's back stiffened at the mention of his name and she turned fast enough to get whiplash. "No, of course not! Why would you think that?" Caroline said, and yet her eyes were as round as saucers, telling a different story.

"Because I know you Caroline, and you love a lost cause. I may not remember anything of the last weeks because of that bitch that hijacked my body, but I do know that you seem happier than you've been in a while." Elena said. Caroline gave a short little nod, surprised at her friend's perceptiveness in this one instance, and then climbed the stairs, her mind heavy with thoughts that she did not care overmuch for.

Once she reached the much brighter main floor of the Salvatore boarding house, she joined the others for a little council of war about the Augustine serum. Stefan sat on one of the couches, sipping on an amber liquid as he kept a close eye on his brother, who was pacing around like a caged animal in front of the giant fireplace. Damon had been fed and was considered safe enough to join this council of war, but then he would resume his place in the dungeon. They were taking turns in letting him and Elena out so that they could control them and their bloodlusts. Bonnie and Jeremy sat close together on the loveseat, talking quietly, while Matt was on an armchair on the other side of the room. Their little group was rounded out by Tyler, who sat alone on a stool, as far away as possible from the others. His face, already sullen, darkened considerably as he saw Caroline approach, causing her to take a couple deep breathes to calm herself as she sat down by Stefan. It hurt that Tyler refused to be friends, hell even civil acquaintances with her after he had discovered her little tryst. Stefan, noticing the tension between the two of them, got up to get her a glass of Damon's excellent bourbon, and she smiled her thanks at her best friend, who shrugged off with a half-smile.

"Now that Blondie has finally joined us, can we please hear what you and Little Gilbert found out, Witchy?" Damon said, annoyed as he stopped pacing back and forth. He was making everyone uncomfortable, with the feral look on his face as he moved like a caged predator.

"Well, that's the problem, Damon." Jeremy said, his face twisting a little bit at the sight of his sister's boyfriend. Their relationship had been strained since the attempted murder and kidnapping, and Damon's current disheveled appearance was not helping. Damon had not bothered to clean up the blood around his mouth, so it ran down his chiseled jaw line and his neck, staining his black shirt. Coupled with the purple veins around his eyes, it made for a gruesome sight. "We haven't found anything at all."

"There is no precedent for a vampire virus. All the witches- and some of the vampires- from the Other Side always thought that vampires were immune." Bonnie added, her face just as worried. "And since you killed the only person who knew how this virus was created, there is no chance of Wes creating an antidote." She continued with a snide tone. It was typical Damon, barging in and recklessly screwing up, leaving them with just another problem to fix.

"Leave the judgment at home, Witchy, and talk to more of your dead friends. There must best something, anything that we can do." Damon said, punctuating each of the last three words with angry punches at the wall.

"Brother." Stefan said calmly, but firmly.

"Have you already talked to the any of the Travelers?" Caroline asked, speaking up for the first time. She had been on Elena duty for the majority of the last couple days, and had so been out of the loop on the search for antidote. She had sat and listened to everyone else, but it looked like they knew as much-or as little- as her.

"And why would a 2,000 year old crazy ass cult of witches know anything about an antidote, Blondie? I think the brain cells in that pretty head of yours are starting to die from disuse." Damon said meanly, no regret in his voice.

"Well, for one, they helped Wes seal you and Enzo inside that house, so they must know at least something of what Wes was doing, and secondly, I don't see you having any bright ideas except boss everyone around, so why don't you shut up and listen for a little bit, Damon?" Caroline said, in her best head cheerleader bitch voice.

Damon snarled, and made a move to attack her, but was stopped by Stefan, who whizzed by Caroline to pin his brother up against the wall. "Don't force me to do something I don't want to have to do to defend the people in this room." Then, turning toward his blonde best friend, he said, "Caroline, that's actually a great idea. None of us had known about that connection."

"Well, Katherine-as-Elena liked to brag, and she thought that one pretty clever. Plus, she may have been a she devil, but she sure knew how to tie everything up with a pretty big bow. Must have been all those years of running." Caroline said, with a note in her voice that sounded a lot like sympathy for the now dead doppelganger.

"Well, does anyone know where the Travelers are now?" Matt asked, clearly trying to stay far away from the loose cannon named Damon.

Everyone mutely shook their heads, trying to think back to their last encounter with the shady group. They had been shrouded with an air of mystery ever since stepping foot in Mystic Falls, and had slipped away as quietly as they had entered.

"They are somewhere in the rural Appalachians. A member of the pack I stayed with over the summer texted me that they had to move because of their proximity." Tyler said awkwardly.

"Alright then, I'll go and talk to them." Bonnie said.

"You can't go alone! They might be dangerous or keep you captive like that crazy doppelganger, Bon!" Caroline said, worried about her best friend. Becoming the supernatural anchor to the Other Side made her a hot commodity and Bonnie was now defenseless to defend herself since she was no longer a witch.

"I'll go with her. She needs someone that knows the area there." Tyler said. Then, turning to Bonnie, he continued "Bring comfortable and hiking clothing. Let's try to leave tonight, okay? We don't want them moving again."

So, the group dispersed. Bonnie and Jeremy went off to presumably pack and enjoy themselves in their little bubble of happiness, while Matt headed to the Grill for his shift with a quick hug to Caroline. Damon too was quickly returned to captivity in the cellar, his use done for the day as his control slipped further and further. As Caroline and Tyler were left alone in the drawing room, an awkward silence descended.

"I'm not coming back." Tyler said, as he picked up the bag that was stashed on the other side of the couch, far out of Caroline's super human vision.

"Ty…" Caroline said, trying to plead with her once-boyfriend. She wished that even though they were over romantically, now and forever, they could get to a stage like her and Matt, a friendship deeper than before. Yet, it looked like Tyler was not one to let go of a grudge.

"No, Care. I once thought I had a future in this town, a family, you… But all of that was ripped away by that monster and you. I'm done, with this town and its never ending cycle of death, and there is nothing tying me here anymore, so don't even try to ask me to stay." And with that, Tyler started walking towards the door.

Caroline quickly stood up and tried to stop him, flashing over at supernatural speed. "No, you are not going to blame this on me. Yes, I slept with Klaus, and yes, he's done terrible things, but it doesn't give you an excuse for all the crap you gave me before that and it doesn't give you an excuse to run away now. So if you are going to walk through that door, it's because you are too much of a coward to stay and fight with the people that love you."

Tyler whirled on her faster than she, with her superhuman senses, could see. He had her pinned up against the wall, his eyes yellow and his deadly hybrid fangs bared as he yelled: "I am no coward!"

A blur knocked him off her and shot him through the door of the mansion. "I think it's time for you to leave, Tyler." Stefan said calmly, brushing a bit of dust off. Tyler still had his teeth bared, but seemed to back down once he realized it wasn't just Caroline vs. him.

"He's going to bring you down to his level, filthy and crush any goodness you may have had and turn you into just as much of a monster as he is, Caroline, but at least I won't be there to see it." He said, and took off into the spring evening.

Caroline collapsed against the wall, unable to stop the tears from rushing out. "Why does he hate me so much?"

Stefan sat down by his best friend, trying to comfort the blonde girl he had come to love like the sister he had been denied to know. "He's a misguided martyr, trying to prove his point to the world without caring about whom it hurts, Care."

"Why does everyone always expect me to be perfect, to have it all together, to put everything aside from them and their problems? Why can't I take something I want for once?" Caroline sobbed in her best friend's hug.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, it's okay." Stefan said, nervously patting her back. He hadn't been able to comfort Caroline after she and Tyler broke up, but he was here now. He picked up an handkerchief and wiped her eyes, and then, looking straight into his friend's blue eyes, clouded with tears, he said; "You are one of the strongest people I know, Caroline, and it scares people like Tyler to see your strength, your light, your compassion. They lash out at you, trying to tear you down and bring you to their level because that way they can understand you, but you must never let them do that. Just by keeping your head up, you've won." Stefan said, and was rewarded by a tremulous smile from his best friend.

"You know, I've heard that before…"

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"Now, is that anyway to greet a fellow inmate?" a familiar yet not voice said, mocking her. "Welcome to hell!"

Katherine looked up at Stefan's face, and yet something told her that this was not Stefan. No, Stefan had stabbed her, killed her, right as she professed her love for him, albeit sarcastically. She had seen the glint of the blade as Matt Donovan had handed it to him, and had already known who held the blade. It was the benefit of running for so many years, being able to spot anomalies and making educated guesses based on them.

"Who are you?" She asked, wary. It could be another trick of this infernal place, to show her the face of one of the many who had held her fancy during her long life. Indeed, Stefan was a bit different than most, since she had always held a soft spot for him, but she had realized in her last moments, the first time she 'died' that he was not the love of her life. No, that spot had been claimed for centuries.

"I think I'm offended. How can you not recognize _me_?" The Stefan clone said. He gestured at himself wildly and offered her a wicked smirk, and something triggered in her memory.

"Silas." She said, taking an automatic step back. The last time she had seen the millennium old psychopath he had drained her dry of her blood, and she did not want a repeat performance. It was part of the survivor instinct that she had acquired over the years, keeping her safe even in Hell.

"The one and only. And which one of my true love's doppelganger's have I not-so accidentally collided with?"

"Katherine Pierce." She said, looking at Silas's proffered hand warily.

"Oh, the fun one. Goody." Then, his hand still outstretched, he said, "Go on, shake it, you're going to need a partner in crime if you want to get out of this hell-hole, literally." He said, grinning like a little kid at his not very creative pun, causing Katherine to roll her eyes.

"I promise I won't bite, darling." He said, showcasing his fangs in another smile.

Feeling a little bit like she was making a deal with devil, Katherine shook his hand. "You'd have to catch me first. Now, tell me about this place.

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**AN: Sorry to disappoint all of you who thought Kol was making his entrance, but he did appear last chapter (the two ghost at the very end of the originals scene) and it might be a little bit longer till he actually arrives, but have faith! I know this isn't exactly how canon went down, but I'm going to try parallel it, not stick to it, because I already have the story planned out… Also, this is the way the chapters are going to go for a little bit, because I got to set up the story before getting our favorite Originals back, but fear not! Klaroline will happen! So next chapter is going back to NOLA, and then back to Mystic Falls… Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and please keep it up! Reviews are such great feedback on things to change or add! (Also, sorry for this giant AN)**


	3. Witches of the French Quarter

**Chapter Three- Witches of the French Quarter**

**AN: Thank you so much for reviewing/following/favoriting! See you at the bottom!**

**Also, thank you so much to AssissinsVow2012 for replying so quickly and being an awesome beta!**

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**Reviews:**

**Guest: Thanks for the encouragement! (Both of you!) And yes, I felt the same way about the Tyler scene when writing it!**

**ZodiacsKlaroline: Thank you so much for your lovely review again! It is so nice as a writer to see the same people comment because it means that you've managed not only to capture their attention, but hold it. **

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"Brother, we must address the matter of ruling the city sooner or later." Elijah said not two days afterwards, trying to coax Klaus out of his artist studio. The hybrid had retired there after their showdown in the cemetery, seeking the usual solace of paint and canvas. It seemed his peace was not to last, however, as the pounding on the door got more impatient.

"I've got nothing to say on the matter, Elijah." He replied, shouting through the door and elongating his sibling's name in that unique way of his. "The city is mine, and I will rule it as I see fit."

"What about the witches? Or Haley's family for that matter?" Elijah asked.

"I'll deal with them in my own time. And please don't tell me you're still hung up on that little werewolf." Klaus mocked.

"She's carrying your child, Niklaus. At least show her some basic respect." Elijah said. Klaus glanced at the painting of his blonde angel, and sighed. He hated the reminder of his humanity that Caroline never failed to stir, even in picture format. Setting down paintbrush and paint, he went to open the door to his sibling, who had his hand raised again in mid knock.

"Really, though, isn't she below your usual standards, Lijah? Klaus said, lifting a sardonic eyebrow to match his smirk. At his brother's mute reply he continued, "I could understand the lure of powerful Celeste, and Katerina was the challenge you couldn't let go of, but the lost werewolf? You two are as incompatible as any other I have ever seen, because, in the end, she's going to leave you for that werewolf clan, and you're going to realize that all along, she was using you to remain alive."

"Niklaus, that's enough!" Elijah said sternly.

"Actually, as much as I hate to agree with anything Nik says at the moment, I think he painted a pretty accurate picture of the situation, Lijah." Rebekah said from the doorway. Klaus, throwing up his hands in disgust at both of his siblings showing up at his secret hiding place, poured himself a drink from the 200 year old scotch hidden behind paint bottles.

"I'd advise both of you to leave this place if you want to keep your livers, and to do so rather quickly, because my patience with both of you is rather thin at the moment." He said in a quiet tone, which emphasized the danger in his voice. Both of siblings stood their ground, however.

"I will speak with you, brother, tonight at the dinner table. Now, leave, before I do something that might ruin your precious suit." Klaus said, refusing to acknowledge Rebekah. Elijah left with a contented nod, and Rebekah followed him out of the door with a silent sigh and a small pout. It was too much to wish that her brother would just simply let bygones be bygones for the sake of her family. Rebekah's road to redemption in her brother's eyes would be a long one, she realized, as she walked along the crowded streets of the Quarter at a human pace.

As she passed a couple of popular boutiques, she saw a familiar face duck into a shop. With an almost wicked grin, she followed suit, deviating her course into the same shop. What could be more perfect than protecting her brother's child to regain his trust? Plus, Rebekah had always wanted to have children of her own. Growing up, being a mother had always been the end goal, with promises to treat her own children differently than her parents had treated her and her siblings. Maybe that was part of the reason, the lack of a mother figure in her life, that had caused her give away her love so freely over the years. Since her aspirations to motherhood had been ripped away from her cruelly by her own parents, she had tried to think as little as possible about what she'd lost, but there would be moments that it would sneak up on her. Then, she'd be almost paralyzed by the pain of never having a child to hold, to call her own, and to see all the little changes and thoughts that went into shaping a human being.

Maybe all hope for motherhood was gone, but she sure as hell would be the best aunt in the world to this child. Already, it looked like Hayley had little interest in her wellbeing beyond the birth, but Rebekah would not allow her own blood to feel unloved. No matter what her brother might do, what other betrayals the future had in store for them, Rebekah would love and protect that little girl the way she wished an adult had done for her in her own childhood.

The store she had followed Hayley to was a baby store, and the pregnant girl was standing in front a stroller display with a lost look in her eyes. Rebekah sighed, and looked in disgust at the plain store displays. It made sense that the wolf girl had such bad taste, seeing her questionable taste in clothing.

"No niece of mine will ever own something as banal as the stuff in this store." She said once she had reached Hayley. Grabbing the girl's arm, she pulled her out of the store and towards the Canal mall. "Come on, I'm taking you shopping."

* * *

Three hours later, Rebekah pulled a worn out Hayley through the mansion's doorway. Both women were laden with shopping bags and two more compelled humans dragged a cart with larger items, such as a high tech stroller and a stylish pink baby chair picked especially by Rebekah. The blonde Original had a huge grin on her face, since the day of shopping had reinvigorated her after the family squabbles of the past week. The werewolf's lips were however turned down in a petulant pout, and she threw herself on the first available couch.

"That was miserable!" Hayley said, under her breath.

The vampire's keen hearing caught the comment, however. "What an ungrateful child! I helped you pick up things from basic diapers to strollers and made sure you had no burdens, and yet you complain?" Rebekah said, her voice going shrill.

"Why do you even care so much? It's not like it's your child." Hayley said, rubbing her 7 month stomach, twisting the knife further into Rebekah's heart.

"No, but it is my niece, and unlike you, I will always want the best for her." Rebekah said, not giving up the typical cat fight routine that Hayley seemed to enjoy so much. The werewolf was right, the child was not hers, and yet Rebekah seemed to care about the baby's fate much more than Hayley. In fact, the werewolf girl had done nothing to prepare for her child's arrival. It was Rebekah that had read the parenting books, Rebekah who had picked out a room in the mansion to serve as the nursery, and Rebekah who today had bought many necessities for the baby's arrival, with little to no input from a disinterested Hayley.

"There is no best for her! She's going to be nothing but a monster, just like her father, just like her family!" Hayley said.

Faster than the wolf girl could blink, Rebekah had her pinned up against the wall, her fangs bared in anger. "If you had not been carrying my niece, those words would have been your last, wolf girl. My family may fight and dagger each other, but we stick together, and your status here is not family by a long shot. I would watch my words more carefully in the future, because I might not be so lenient."

Rebekah released the girl, who practically sneered at her before walking away to her own room. With a sigh, Rebekah started directing her compelled helpers on the position of the baby items, up the stairs to the nursery located two rooms over her own bedroom.

"I see you did a bit of shopping, Rebekah." Elijah's cool voice said from the doorway as packages started to go up.

"Don't worry, I used Niklaus's credit card this time. Besides, it's not for me, it's for the baby." She replied, holding up a Prada onesies in powder blue that had made her squeal in the expensive baby store.

"Ah, I see." Elijah replied with a uncharacteristic small smile, his hands in the front pocket of his slacks. "Did Hayley like them?"

Rebekah gave a small frown of disapproval at the mention of the annoying wolf. "I tried to ask her opinion on everything, but she just pouted or whined the entire time. I don't know how you stand to be in her company voluntarily, Lijah!"

Her noble brother said nothing, but rather gave his little sister one of his calculating looks. He often hid his emotions behind an impassible mask, and today was no exception. Rebekah had seen the mask crack on rare occasions, and today was not one of them. Knowing that the conversation was over, she gave her brother one last smile before following her compelled helpers up the stairs to unpack the baby's things.

Elijah remained in the living room, unable to stop his sister's words from running through his head. It was true that lately Hayley had seemed to lose interest in her baby's welfare now that she- and the wolf herself- were no longer in immediate danger through the witches' link. In fact, she barely spoke about the baby anymore, answering only in monosyllables when prompted. Actually, every time Elijah had attempted to talk to her about the baby or preparations for the baby's arrival, she had always managed to turn the conversation to a lighter, more flirtatious tone that had always made him slightly uncomfortable. True, both his brother and his sister teased him about becoming closer with the werewolf, but at least on Elijah's part, there were no romantic feelings. He saw Hayley as a friend, nothing more, and yet had chosen to let the others believe that there was something more between them so that they would know the girl was under his protection. It wasn't coming from a special regard for the wolf girl, but rather for an intense need to shelter the child she carried that Elijah had felt the very first time he heard its tiny heartbeat. It was a family kind of love, not a romantic thing, no matter what Hayley wished.

How could ever think about the poor girl in that way when his heart wasn't his to give? He had lost it in childlike innocent chocolate eyes and a questioning mind, left it in the care of a little girl just as alone as him. No matter his mistakes, her faults, and their eternal push and pull, he had not been able to regain its possession in the 500 years following that fateful day. She was like a siren, always calling him back to her, his Katerina. And he, helpless fool that he was, always chasing her, to the ends of the earth and back again. This time, though, he had dropped the chase just at the moment she was ready to be caught, lost his chance at having a normal relationship with her, all for the unborn baby that Hayley carried. Elijah had sworn to protect her against any and all that meant her harm, and he was a man of his word, no matter how much it hurt him. He only hoped that once the situation here in New Orleans settled his Katerina would forgive him.

"Elijah, you're back." Hayley purred from the doorway, her hair damp from her recent shower. She had not bothered to change into anything special for dinner, but was rather wearing a hoodie and yoga pants that did nothing to hide her growing bump. He had to stop himself from glaring at her for her casual attire despite the strict rules in the household towards dinner attire. She sensually walked forward until she was standing a little bit too close for Elijah's comfort, and gently stroking his arm, she said in a low, seductive tone, "I missed you."

Elijah had to stop a grimace, and it took all of his acquired control to keep his usual impassive mask on his face. The girl was carrying his brother's child, and yet she was not even waiting for the baby to be born before attempting to seduce him. It lowered his opinion of Hayley, and opened his eyes to the game the girl had been playing this entire time. Taking a small step back, he said, "I was busy with the affairs of the city all day. I hope my sister was a suitable companion on your little shopping excursions."

"I would have much preferred to have gone with you, Elijah. You are just so knowledgeable." Hayley said, not taking the hint that Elijah was trying to portray with his closed off body language. Elijah gave a small sigh, knowing that he'd have to set the girl straight. It would be the first step to peace between his siblings, so that Klaus's paranoia would have nothing to worry about. Elijah would never take away his brother's chance to be a father, his first step to the road of redemption, but he would play his part as the child's loving uncle and protector.

"Hayley, I feel like I've given you the wrong impression, that there is something romantic between the two of us. I can assure you that that is not the case, nor can it ever be, for obvious reasons," Elijah said, referencing Hayley's pregnancy, "and more private ones."

"But, Lijah!" Hayley protested.

"No, Hayley, I'm sorry. I came to New Orleans to reunite my family and I lost sight of my goal for too long, but no more."

"Elijah, you can't put together your family again! There are too many breaks, too much strife for it to ever function again! You can't let Klaus's paranoia or Rebekah's selfishness rule your life without ever taking anything for yourself. What we have- what we share- is real, and you can't just let it go without a fight, damn it!" Hayley said, a dark glint in her eyes that surprised Elijah. He had not thought that the werewolf girl had the capability for that much spite, and he was sorry that he was wrong yet again about the faults of a family member.

"I'm not giving up Hayley, I never chased you to begin with. And, if you must know, I did once making the mistake of fighting for something I held dear against my brother, and it only fractured my family further apart. Call me noble or call me foolish, but I am determined to see my family reunited if it is the last thing I accomplish." Elijah said passionately.

Hayley was enraged at his words, and her eyes quickly flashed yellow before returning to their normal murky brown. Like a child, she whirled around for the door, her footsteps heavy and elephantine. Elijah too half turned towards the living room's sideboard in search of some strong drink in preparation for the next confrontation, but his quest was interrupted by Hayley's voice, full of spite as she turned back around for a final volley. "I wonder if you would be so noble, so quick to declare hope for your family if you knew what they hid from you."

"Hid from me? Speak clearly, Hayley, or not at all." Elijah said quietly.

"You never wondered what Rebekah and Klaus got up to the weekend they both suddenly disappeared? Or why they both returned with an unusual degree of cheer and never spoke of it again?" Hayley said, an almost glee as she waited for Elijah's realization.

"It was not my business to inquire then, as it is not now." Elijah said, turning back to the sideboard and opening a glass decanter of claret. The chink of glass was the only noise in the room as the ice clinked merrily into the square bottomed glass Elijah had taken out earlier.

"They went to pay their final respects to a dear friend in Mystic Falls." Hayley said slowly. "Her name? Katherine Pierce, may the bitch rest in hell." She said with a slow smirk.

The room was deadly quiet for a second, as Elijah froze, his hand raised in mid-air to close the decanter. Hayley, sensing a victory, slowly backed out of the room and closed the door. She had suffered everyday she had spent in this insufferable house, and now it was time for payback, starting with the one who had made her feel safe for just a moment before breaking her heart.

Inside, Elijah was slowly falling apart. The claret bottle, his favorite vintage, lay smashed against the door where Hayley had stood a few moments previous. The Original was now methodically destroying every object within his reach, starting with the glasses held in the cabinet above the sideboard and ending not much later with the fine upholstered couches that the Original family had bought in the 17th century. Within the space of a half an hour, the room lay ruined in a manner reminiscent of Klaus's temper tantrums, and Elijah was a shell of a man in the middle of the carnage. Silent tears ran down his face as his emotions swelled and roared.

His beloved, his Katerina was dead and gone, and he hadn't even known. Weeks had passed, and yet he had not felt anything. The world had continued spinning as normal, the trees turning to the light pinks and soft cream of spring, the birds chirping and children playing, and she was gone. He had always thought that if the day ever came that the final separation overtook them, he would have felt it somewhere deep within his chest, below his undead heart. The world would have seemed a little less bright, blood a little less vibrant as he partook of it, and yet nothing had changed. He hadn't known, hadn't even been able to go to Mystic Falls and say goodbye, take her in his arms one last time and say the words that in all this time had never been said. Sure, their actions had more often than not expressed their feelings amply, and yet it killed him that he had never been able to tell his Katerina those three little words that he had been saving all these years for her, for he could love no one else. He loves- loved- her, and he had lost her forever. The unfairness of it all, of never touching her ebony hair again, of feeling her silken skin against his own, even of the feeling of chasing her through continents and decades, crumbled his last resolve, and Elijah started crying in earnest. For a thousand years, he had withstood more pain than was human, had lost three brothers and both his parents, and yet the oldest Original had never truly sobbed as he did now. For some reason, he had always taken Katherine's presence for granted, despite her wanted status, because she had seemed so invincible with her fake bravado and disarming tongue. Now that she was gone, his mind was full of what-ifs and could-have-beens but most of all, regret for the time they had wasted with petty concerns.

Elijah could feel each beat of his heart, struggling to pump his borrowed blood through his veins, and felt his vision fade to a dull red color as a maniac rage overtook him. He swore to make everyone and anyone who had hurt his Katerina, who had prevented him from saying goodbye, pay, and pay dearly. New Orleans had witnessed the antics of his brother, his father's pursuit, and the whims of his sister, but it had never had to contend with an Original as royally pissed off as Elijah. Tonight, he would paint the streets red in an effort to forget his own pain.

* * *

Klaus returned to the mansion armed for the battle that was sure to ensue at the fraught dinner between the three siblings. He entered quietly, wanting to assess the situation before making his presence known. After all, he could not trust his siblings not to have three witches ready to take him down and dump his body into the ocean. He was surprised that when he entered, the house had a quiet stillness unusual for a place so populated with vampires. The reason for the stillness quickly became apparent, however, as he stepped into the living room and saw how utterly destroyed it was. Moreover, dead vampires lay strewn all over, their hearts next to them in a classic Elijah fashion. His calm older brother was responsible for this, he surmised, which meant that somebody must have told him about Katherine Pierce.

Klaus swore, and quickly flashed upstairs. Elijah's room was a mess as well, and there was no sign of Rebekah or Marcel. He should have known that eventually some loose lipped vampire would have revealed the doppelganger's death, but he'd hoped that he'd taken enough precautions that it could have been put off for a few years or even a decade. Instead, his brother had gone off in a fit of temper equal to any of his own right in the middle of the biggest supernatural war of the last century. Klaus once again cursed the decision to go to Mystic Falls, but then remembered his actual purpose in going and had to suppress a little smile. He had cared little for Katerina's fate, content to only sneak a peek of his love, but had instead been rewarded with so much more than he'd ever dreamed of. For Caroline, it may have been a onetime thing, an urge to indulge and move on, but for him, it was a promise of something more to come, and it had only wetted his appetite. He wanted more, and he didn't care how long he had to wait, because after all, he had already waited a thousand years for her.

However, first he had to deal with the loose cannon that was his brother. He flashed himself downstairs and out of the house, following the small drops of blood and wreckage that the normally tidy Elijah had left behind. Finally, after running around what seemed half of New Orleans, Klaus found his brother in one of the back booths at Rousseau, two whisky bottles empty in front of him and a third one well on its way to joining them. Shaking his head just a bit at his brother's snob tendencies even in the midst of grief, he took the seat in front of him and signaled one of the waiters for his usual bourbon.

"So, I take you heard about Katerina?" He said, almost nonchalantly. Klaus didn't know what made him empathize with his broken hearted brother this time around, when usually he had been the cause of his brothers' woes, but something deep inside of him wanted to comfort Elijah. Maybe it was because he had never seen Elijah so upset before or maybe this time he actually understood what love meant, but Klaus felt almost compelled to sit there. After all, Katerina had run for half a millennium because of the hybrid, and Elijah had suffered alongside her as he mocked him for the weakness of loving the witty doppelganger.

"Yes, Niklaus, I heard about Katerina. I heard that you went to mock her on her deathbed and took Rebekah with you without even informing me that she was dying! I heard that you didn't even bother to tell me that the girl I chased for half a millennium was dead! I heard that you are a selfish bastard with no hope for redemption whatsoever!" Elijah yelled at Klaus, his words almost slurred due to his heavy intake of alcohol. Klaus said nothing, merely sat back and let his brother finish. He realized in hindsight that not telling Elijah was a mistake, that it would cause more problems within his family than the current ones. At the time, however, it had seemed like the correct thing to do, since Elijah would have dropped everything in order to rush to Katerina's side and rescue her.

"Are you quite finished?" He asked, his tone neither angry nor amused, a weird occurrence for the hybrid.

"Just go. I can't even bear to look at you." Elijah said, putting his head down on the table. Klaus saw his back go up and down and a heard a soft sound coming from his collected brother, and with a start realized that his brother was crying. Unsure of what to do or how to comfort him, Klaus finished his drink and stood up to leave like his brother told him to.

He grabbed his jacket and took a single step, but that same invisible force he blamed completely on Caroline pulled him back. He couldn't leave his brother in such a state for everyone in New Orleans to see, it would be shameful and cause Elijah further pain later on. He might not care right now how he looked, but Klaus knew that his noble brother enjoyed his reputation as the uptight Original. Grabbing his brother's arm and lifting it over his shoulder, Klaus grabbed the dead weight that was Elijah.

"Come on, brother, time to get you home." He said, carrying Elijah through the front door before whizzing by at superhuman speed toward the mansion in the heart of the French Quarter. Depositing Elijah upstairs, he grabbed a chair and sat by the bed and watched his brother quietly fall apart and slowly put himself back together.

"I admit, it wasn't well done to leave you behind on our trip to Mystic Falls." Klaus whispered an indefinite amount of time later, his face twisted into a grimace at the almost apology. Elijah barely gave a nod, but his body relaxed and he was finally able to sleep a few minutes later. Covering his brother with a blanket, Klaus returned to his own room, where sleep was a long time coming, his thoughts haunted by golden hair and summer eyes.

* * *

"Dear girl, we're in our own personal doppelganger hell, if that wasn't obvious enough." Silas said, his arms spreading out wide to gesture the all-encompassing nothingness that surrounded them. Katherine merely raised an eyebrow, knowing that the wily immortal was hiding something.

"And who would we be exactly? I'd rather not have anymore, ahem, unwelcome surprises." She said, eyes scanning for any other figure.

"Just you, me, my one true love Amara, and some wench named Tatia. Quite annoying that one to be honest. She wears the same face as my one true love and yet I manage to almost kill her every time we cross paths." Silas explained with a small shrug.

"Great, so I'm stuck in some kind of weird hell-limbo thing with loony-tunes, the original slut, and you, the immortal with a death wish. Excuse me if I don't jump for joy." Katherine said.

"You know, I feel a little bit outnumbered here. 3 lovely ladies with the same face and just little old me, all by myself." Silas mocked.

"Get over yourself. The only one here who will even pay the slightest attention to you is crazy pants Amara, who if I remember correctly stabbed you in one of your last meetings?" Katherine said with fake niceness.

Silas's face got serious then, losing some of his mocking sarcasm. "Don't get too comfortable here, darling, 'cause we're only here until they have a use for us."

"And who would 'they' be?" Katherine asked, clearly mocking Silas's ominous tone as she inspected her nails.

"Why, the Travelers of course."

* * *

**AN: So the plot is moving nicely and we have the missing Elijah scene from TVD/TO that made me tear up when writing it (Can you tell I'm team Kalijah?) but I had wanted this chapter to be more Klaus heavy and then this happened… To address Hayley's appearance, she is going to be a part of the story (a very minor one) but I cannot just write her out. If you have any concern, feel free to PM me or put it in the comments and I can explain her necessity. So yeah, we'll be back in Mystic Falls next chapter, and then the time draws near for a reunion Again, thank you so much for taking the time to read this story and remember, reviews are a writer's best friend!**

**(Also, I don't know how many of you have picked up on this, but Monday is most likely going to be my update day for this story. I'm going to try really, REALLY hard to have a new chapter out each Monday, but sometimes life gets in the way...)**


	4. All Roads Lead Back to You

**Chapter Four- All Roads Lead to You**

Caroline had been stuck on watchdog duty yet again, skipping a European history class. With Damon's surly attitude, she almost wished she were in class, were at least the professor's monotone voice would put her to sleep. Instead, she was stuck in the dingy Salvatore dungeon with no phone reception and no Elena to talk with, since Stefan had taken her out for some fresh air, accompanied by Liv the Sketchy Witch for protection. Caroline glanced at her phone one more time, willing for the minutes to move faster, but no such luck.

"Yooo Blondie, is anybody there?" Damon teased from behind his steel prison. Caroline had to silence a loud sigh and content herself to an eye roll. If she had to wait for another hour and a half for one of her friends to come and relieve her, she might as well not spend that hour and a half fighting with Damon.

"What do you want, Damon?" She said, pulling up an addicting game on her phone and absent-mindedly starting it.

"Blood. Bourbon. Maybe not necessarily in that order." He said, his mouth twisted up in a half smile that warned of trouble.

"If I get you that bourbon will you at least shut up for five minutes?" Caroline asks, exasperated. Damon had been pestering her with little snide comments ever since her arrival to relieve Jeremy of guard duty, and she was frankly out of options. It seemed either Damon got his booze or she would lose her mental sanity, so she went with the easier of the two options. Flashing herself upstairs, she grabbed the crystal bottle from the sideboard, and poured two glasses. Shooting a quick look around, as if her mother would come out of the woodwork to chide her for drinking so early in the afternoon, she quickly downed her glass before returning downstairs at a human pace. No sense in her prolonging her sentence and a little bit of liquid courage might just keep her calm enough not to snap at Damon.

"Here you go!" She said brightly, hoping that some of her signature positivity would rub off on Damon. With a sardonic smile, Damon toasted the glass towards her and then downed it in a single go, a satisfied sound from the back of his throat. Caroline returned to her game and then texted Bonnie for a while, seeing the time fly. Maybe this one time she could get through her shift as guard without any of Damon's nasty personality.

"Who ya texting, Blondie?" Damon asked, trying to peer over her shoulder. "Are you and papa hybrid exchanging love notes?"

"No!" Caroline replied. "Ugh why do you have to bring him up in every conversation?"

"Because, I know that somewhere deep, deep down in that little judgy head of yours there is a part of you that wants nothing more than to leave us all behind for the big, bad hybrid, and I want to make sure you won't jump ship on us just yet." Damon said.

"Oh, never knew you cared." Caroline replied, touching her dead heart as if she were actually moved.

"Don't flatter yourself, Blondie. I've tasted what you have to offer, and frankly, found it a bit…lacking." Damon said.

"How dare you! You compelled me, used me as a blood bag and practically raped me, and you joke about it?"

"You seemed to be enjoying it from where I was standing." Damon said, standing up to mimic Caroline's outraged position. Caroline's cheeks were blushing scarlet from anger, and as she tried to express her feelings into words, her hand reached across the bars to smack Damon in the face. A resounding thud was heard in the silent dungeon as a bright red handprint quickly materialized on Damon's left cheek, and yet the damage was done already. The veins under Damon's eyes had already manifested as he grabbed Caroline's wrist, and twisting it so far that it snapped, brought it to his lips. A small scream escaped from her lips as she felt her bones break and Damon used her distraction to sink his fangs in to the hollow of her wrist, where her vein pulsated with the borrowed blood.

Caroline tried to fight him off, to pull her arm out of his limited reach, but his starved body held on fast. His age was aiding him in this fight, and as Caroline's efforts got more and more desperate, Damon seemed to suck harder and harder, no recognition in his face. "Damon! Damon, stop please! You're going to kill me!" She pleaded softly, but to no avail. Her body was shutting down, and she could almost feel the organs switching off as her blood supply was cut off.

It was not fair, Caroline thought in her last moments. She was meant to have forever, centuries in which to explore the world and venture out of tiny Mystic Falls, to fall in love and make mistakes, years with her best friends and maybe even find her own epic love. It had been a curse at first, vampirism and all its evils, but the perk of forever, the loss of urgency to see and do that had dominated her human life, had been an unspoken promise. A promise and a choice she had made, to take forever in her hands and enjoy every moment. Now, it was all being taken from her and by Damon no less. If she had to die- something she had always anticipated in the back of her mind through all of their foolish schemes- Caroline had expected it would be in something epic, something heroic, protecting her friends or the town she loved. Never could she have foreseen that her life would end here, in the dingy Salvatore dungeon by someone she considered at least one of the good guys. Slowly, her vision started clouding up and her world faded to black as the iron grip on her wrist loosened. At least dying wasn't as painful as what had come before.

* * *

It was sometime later when Caroline woke up on an uncomfortable surface that she quickly realized was some kind of couch. Her body felt on fire, as if she had forgotten to feed, and her gums itched as her fangs start coming out. The veins underneath her eyes kept transforming every few seconds and she was powerless to stop it as her whole vision went red with bloodlust. Waking up was a relief, as the memories of Damon and the dungeon started filtering back in, but for the first time since her transition Caroline was losing control of her vampire side.

"Caroline? Are you awake?" Elena's concerned voice came from her side. A heavenly coppery smell of blood came from the vicinity of her face and without a pause, Caroline ripped it out of her hands and emptied it in one breath.

"More" she croaked out in a broken voice. Elena's hand was replaced by a more masculine one as her friend reached behind her to pull Caroline up to a more sitting position.

"Slow and easy, there you go." Stefan said gently as she quickly downed the other blood bag. It was only after she had downed another one that she was able to slow down as the color slowly returned to her grey skin.

"What happened?" She asked, as she tried to cast her mind back to the last memory before she blacked out. Slowly, recollections of Damon and the dungeon came back, and Caroline gasped, "Damon! He-he drained me!"

Elena and Stefan shared a concerned look, and Stefan gave a slight nod. "He's getting worse, more aggressive. This virus is turning him into a rabid animal, with no thought other than feeding."

"We need to hurry up and find the cure. If it only took this long for Damon to be overtaken by the virus, then how long do I have?" Elena asked, concerned. "How long until I'm ripping into you or Stefan? How long until I kill someone I love?" She said frantically.

"Elena. Elena! Calm down, okay? Bonnie and Tyler went in search of a cure, and Jeremy and Matt are going through Max's stuff. We will find a cure, and both you and Damon will be just fine." Stefan said, grabbing her by her shoulders and sitting her down on the armchair next to the couch.

"Everything will be okay, Lena, don't worry." Caroline said shakily from her perch on the couch. She had grabbed one of the blankets and wrapped it around her shoulders, since the shock from her near death was making her shiver and tremble. Through the silent suffering, however, she was able to give her best friend a tremulous smile of support.

"Care, oh my god, I'm so sorry! You're shaking like a leaf!" Elena said, jumping up to go and hug Caroline. She was intercepted by Stefan, who physically stood in front of Caroline and blocked the brunette's path.

"It's been too long since you last fed, Elena. I think it's better if we get you back to the cellar before you hurt someone." Stefan said gently.

With a mute nod, Elena turned around and exited the room, pausing only to say, "Feel better, okay, Care? I'll see you tomorrow."

After a couple of short minutes in which the younger Salvatore followed Elena down to double check that the cell doors were secure, Caroline found herself with a warm mug of hot chocolate and her best friend across from her.

"How are you feeling, for real?" Stefan asked as he made himself comfortable on the other couch, slouching down so that his long legs could rest on the coffee table in between them. Caroline wrinkled her nose at the feet that poked her own legs, earning her a small chuckle in return.

"I'm better. The hot chocolate is helping the most, truthfully." She said gratefully with a small smile as she took another sip of the hot beverage.

"Damon has done a lot of awful things but you do know that it wasn't him down there, right?" Stefan asked after a few pensive minutes.

"It's what I'm trying to tell myself. I've forgiven him worse, so I'm sure I'll do it again." Caroline said. "How can I not? He's your brother and Elena seems to love him, so I have to accept it and move on, for your sakes as well as mine."

"He's done a lot of terrible things to many people and you especially, and yet you manage to forgive him and move on without being related or in love with him. Caroline Forbes, I think you're amazing." Stefan said, smiling gently at his best friend in wonder.

"Yeah, yeah, just remember that next time I want girl talk and Mean Girls and you're the only one available." Caroline replied with a laugh.

"The horrors." Stefan deadpanned.

* * *

The next day, Caroline and Stefan found themselves in Caroline's cluttered bedroom. Matt and Jeremy had been temporarily pulled from their own search to watch over Elena and Damon as the two vampires met to skype with Bonnie and find out her discoveries. They were sitting on Caroline's bed with her Ipad held in between the two of them as they waited for the witch's call. It had been weird for Caroline to invite Stefan into her girly bedroom, since Tyler and Matt had been the only other males she'd ever invited in, and Tyler had managed to make fun of all her little trinkets and mementos in between make out sessions. Of course, she preferred not to think of the _other_, uninvited guest, who had probably cringed in horror at the banality and commonness of her bedroom, with its photos and ribbons, trophies and posters. Klaus had probably scoffed at how human it had all been, in between speeches about how the whole world awaited her and his usual nonsense.

Stefan was the first guy friend-and just friend- she had invited over, and she had expected it to be awkward at least, but instead, she found it so similar to having Elena and Bonnie over that her worries seemed silly. The only piece of décor he raised an eyebrow at was at a newspaper clipping mixed in with her Miss Mystic prizes and planning notices. It was from the Miss Mystic event this year, the one she had organized and set up, and showed her and Klaus laughing about something, their heads bent close together, as the reporter commented on the great party.

"What? I like hearing good things about my parties." Caroline said defensively.

"Sure, and that's the only reason you kept it." Stefan said sarcastically as he replaced it.

"Oh just shut up and come over here. Bonnie's calling." She said as she made room on the bed.

Stefan quickly sat down next to her as she pressed the accept button on her screen. Bonnie's face soon appeared on the screen and the former witch gave a small wave.

"Hey guys" she said.

"Bonnie!" Caroline exclaimed, happy to see her best friend alive and whole. "How are you doing?" She continued, noticing the tiredness in her friend's normally glowing complexion.

"I'm good, tired, but good. And you? Everything okay with Elena and Damon?" Bonnie reciprocated.

"We're doing okay, but Damon is getting worse and Elena is not far behind. Matt and Jeremy have been unable to find anything in Wes's lab, so you're all we've got for now." Caroline said in a grim tone.

Bonnie flinched a little a she heard her best friend's words. "Well, news on this front aren't good either, Care. The Travelers- they're up to something, something big. They're gathering in large numbers and Tyler's pack heard them talking about a spell and doppelgangers."

"Did they know anything about an antidote for this virus?" Caroline asked as her face twisted into a frown at the mention of the Travelers. Stefan's face showed no more emotion than usual, and yet she could feel the tension in her friend at the mention of doppelgangers.

Bonnie started shaking her head before Caroline was even done with her question. "They wouldn't even allow me to come into their camp before knowing I was the Anchor, and then they tried to kidnap me. It was only thanks to Tyler and his pack that I got away."

"Are you alright?" Caroline asked, concerned. At Bonnie's nod, she continued, "So that was a dead end as well."

"We're running out of time for this antidote and places to look." Stefan said, getting up to angrily pace, unable to sit still anymore.

"I know, but where else can we look?" Caroline asked.

There was a quiet moment as they all thought for a minute about possible avenue of research. "I could try contacting my Grams or some other witches since I have access to the whole Other Side." Bonnie said.

"That's a great idea, Bonnie!" Caroline said, smiling widely. "At least one of them must have an idea of what is going on!"

"Yes, that might actually work." Stefan echoed. "How far away from Mystic Falls are you right now?"

"A few hours' drive. If I leave right now, I should be there by tonight." Bonnie said.

"That should be fine. I'll go back to the boarding house and inform the others." Stefan said. "We'll see you tonight Bonnie."

"Bye, Stefan." Bonnie said with a little wave.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright exploring the Other Side tonight, Bonnie? You don't look that great." Caroline said.

"Gee thanks, Caroline, don't spare my feelings" Bonnie said with amusement. At her best friend's eye roll, she continued, "I don't know, but it might be our last chance to save Elena and Damon."

"But what if we lose you again?" Caroline asked.

"I'm sure I will be fine, Care, don't worry about it."

Caroline gave her friend a disbelieving look, but let the matter drop for the moment as she asked the question that had been eating her up since the former witch had called. "Is Tyler with you?"

Bonnie's face fell at the question. "Care, I'm sorry-"

"So he did stay with his pack after all. It's fine, Bonnie, it was his choice. And I think I'm finally free to move on from him, because he doesn't need me anymore just like I don't need him." Caroline said after a deep breath.

"Because you're Caroline Forbes, neurotic planner extraordinary, most amazing friend in the world, and flawless vampire warrior princess?" Bonnie said with a smile.

"Something like that, yes." Caroline said with a laugh.

"I'll see you tonight, okay? Say hi to Elena and Jeremy for me." Bonnie said as she ended the call a few minutes later. Caroline gave a small wave as she closed the lid on her laptop and took a deep breath. It was time for her to move on from Tyler for good, and so she grabbed a box from the garage downstairs and piled in all her mementos from their relationship. The picture of them together, his jacket, the bracelet he had given her for her fateful birthday were all methodically stored in the cardboard box, which she then sealed and labeled Tyler. Putting in the very back of her closet where she wouldn't see it, she shut the door on that chapter of her life and opened one full of possibilities and opportunities.

* * *

Bonnie arrived at the Salvatore boarding house at around six, just as the sun was setting and the dark was settling in, fitting for her purpose. She was worried about traveling through the Other Side in search of witches, since she had never explored that side of her powers.

"Bonnie! You're here!" Caroline squealed mere seconds before the brunette found herself engulfed in the warmth of the bubbly blonde's hug.

"Hello to you too, Care" Bonnie replied as she untangled herself.

Stefan was even more pensive than he had been that afternoon, and even Matt and Jeremy looked worried as they in turn exchanged greetings with the former witch.

"How exactly is this going to work?" Jeremy asked once they had all found seats in the Salvatore's sitting room, warmed by the lively fire on the chilly spring evening.

"I'm not sure, I've never done this before." Bonnie replied.

"How we know it's going to work?" Matt asked from his place in the room's single armchair.

"We don't. But we need to do something, anything, because Damon and Elena don't have long left, and none of us will be able to live if we didn't do everything to try to save them." Stefan said. He was the one person in the room who had the most to lose, since he cared deeply for both Damon and Elena.

"We will save them." Bonnie said determinedly, before closing her eyes and concentrating on the Other Side. She had an idea of what it looked like due to her own time there, and she was quickly transported to the forest outside of Mystic Falls where she had spent the majority of her time as one of the dead.

"Grams?" She called out. No one appeared, so she focused harder on her Grams' face.

"Bonnie." Her Grams said softly behind her.

"Grams!" She said, turning to throw herself at her beloved grandmother. However, an invisible wall kept her in place, and she bounced off it.

"My child, you've gotten yourself in a fine tangle. The witches of the Other Side have a message for you: they will not speak until the unnatural situation in New Orleans is fixed. They are angry at you for allowing nature to be corrupted and warped so far that even our own kind is fighting itself, my child. You're the Anchor, you're supposed to be keeping the order." Her Grams said, before vanishing as silently as she had appeared.

"No! Grams! Come back!" Bonnie said. "I need your help!" She cried desperately, but received no reply.

Bonnie wandered around, trying to find someone-anyone- with knowledge to help her and her friends, but found no one at all. It seemed that nature was punishing her for allowing the situation in New Orleans to flourish, even though the Anchor had no knowledge of the going-ons in the Originals' city.

Bonnie was getting desperate as no one seemed to answer her calls. "Anyone! Please, my friends-" She yelled in the nothingness, but the witches were keeping their promise.

"I see you're getting desperate there, darling." A richly accented voice said behind her. Bonnie whirled around at the sound, startled at a reply to her calls, right when she was about to give up.

"You! What are you doing here?" Bonnie said, surprised at the familiar face.

"Well, since your friends decided that my death was necessary to unleash the 2,000 year old witch, I live here now." Kol Mikaelson said, extending his arms to encompass the vast emptiness of the Other Side. He had on a signature smirk that was eerily similar to his brother's as he moved closer to the former witch, causing Bonnie to shrink back.

"No, what are you doing here, talking to me? We are enemies, remember?" Bonnie said.

"All too well but we weren't always enemies, now were we?" Kol said with a smirk, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. Bonnie flushed scarlet as images started playing in her head of the night of the Mikaelson ball. She had not been invited to the grand feast and had thus spent a miserable evening at home with her mother before heading out for a drink far away from Mystic Falls to avoid trouble. Kol arrived after she had already had a couple too many tequila shots, and it wasn't long before the two of them had found themselves in a hotel room, tearing each other's clothes off without even asking for each other's names. It had been the best night of Bonnie's life, one without the usual gloom and burdens, no witches and vampires, just two lonely people finding comfort with one another. And it had been glorious. Morning-and the cold realization that she could never be normal- arrived too soon, and she slipped out while Kol was still asleep. Bonnie had not found out his identity until later, when she was performing the spell with Esther and Abby, and had kept the secret of their night together to this moment.

"That was then and this is now. I don't need your help, Kol, so I suggest you just leave." Bonnie said coldly after she regained her composure.

"And I suppose you're going to make me leave, aren't you?" Kol said, smirking. Bonnie was getting madder and madder as nothing seemed to affect the Original. In fact, it almost looked like he was enjoying it!

"Yes, I will!" Bonnie said forcefully.

"Go right ahead, darling. I'm dead, remember? You can't hurt me." Kol replied.

Bonnie seemed taken aback at the realization that there was truly nothing she could do to convince the infuriating man leave. She had almost forgotten of his dead dead status, since he seemed so corporal, so real and tangible in front of her. "What's it going to take then, to make you leave me alone?" She asked, exasperated, as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Why, I just want to help, Bonnie dear." Kol said, with a winning smile.

"Help? You? Right." Bonnie said with a disbelieving snort. "What could you possibly know about vampire viruses or even magic?"

"Why, you wound me. I've spent a thousand years on Earth, I've picked up a few things here and there." He replied.

"That still doesn't answer the question why you would want to help me or Elena. We're responsible for killing you and unleashing Silas, remember?" Bonnie said, trying to make sense of the Original's sudden willingness to help. Even before knowing Kol's true identity, she had known that he wouldn't do anything unless it was for his own benefit.

"I think we can arrange some sort of deal in which we both benefit one another, don't you?" Kol said.

"What kind of a deal?" Bonnie asked, weary. Making a deal with an Original was equivalent to making a deal with the devil, especially this Original and his rakish good looks.

"Well, if I help you save your little friends, I think the least you could do is find a witch to resurrect me, don't you, darling?" Kol said, laying on the accent thick.

"No, I don't." Bonnie said with a defensive stance.

"Then I guess we're done here. Bye, love." Kol said with a wink, walking off. Bonnie couldn't believe the Original's abrupt exit, so it took her a second to process his words. Realizing that he was her only real shot at an antidote and they were running out of time, she called him back.

"KOL! Fine, I'll find someone to resurrect you, but only after my friends are cured." She said.

Kol turned back around and flashed over to her, smiling like a little kid. "Lovely, I knew we'd reach an agreement. And look, no bloodshed this time. Shall we get started then?"

* * *

"Kol? As in Original Kol? The one Elena and Jeremy killed in their living room? Have you gone insane, Witchy?" Damon asked from within his dungeon cell.

"Look, the witches on the Other Side refuse to speak to me because I've allowed some great imbalance to happen in New Orleans because apparently it's not enough I have to feel every supernatural death, but I also have to play witch police. It was either Kol or nothing." Bonnie explained yet again. Caroline, even after hearing her best friend explain the situation twice, couldn't believe that they were trusting the playboy Original with a matter of life and death.

"Then do nothing! Spend the next twenty years looking for an antidote while Elena and I rot in here, I don't care! The second he gets what he wants, he's going to kill us all!" Damon said again.

"He's given his word." Bonnie replied.

"Bonnie, that doesn't mean anything. Kol is not Elijah." Elena said, siding with Damon.

"Bonnie believed him, so that must count for something, Lena. You know how tough Bonnie is." Caroline chimed in to support her best friend. The former witch rewarded her with a grateful, if tired, smile as she leaned against the wall.

"Look, the point is we're running out of time before you two are consumed by the virus." Stefan said. "Kol is our only option, so we've just got to hope that he keeps his word."

"I don't like it, but if it is our only option…" Elena said, ending the argument. Caroline grabbed an exhausted Bonnie and with small goodbyes (with promises to meet again the next morning) took the former witch home. Bonnie looked ready to crash at any moment, with her extended sojourn into the Other Side taking a toll on her, both physically and emotionally.

"Thanks for getting me out of there, Caroline." Bonnie said as they pulled up to the blonde's house where the two were going to be sleeping for the night.

"No problem. Do you really think that Kol knows the antidote, Bon?" Caroline asked as she unlocked her seatbelt.

"I don't know, Care. He seemed to know what he was talking about, and he claims to have spent time with witches, but we only have his word for it." Bonnie said.

"What's your gut telling you to do then?" Caroline asked, shutting off the motor.

"To save Elena, but at what cost, Care? We killed countless vampires to find the cure without a second thought, and disrupted the laws of nature to kill Silas. What is this going to do?" Bonnie asked.

"But can we sit here and let our friends die, Bon? I can't imagine a world without you or Stefan or Elena or Matt." Caroline said.

"No, we cannot. Which is why I need a favor." Bonnie said, getting out of the car.

Caroline hurried out after her, taking the house key out of her clutch. "Anything. Whatever you need, I'm here." She said as she opened the door to let her best friend in.

"You might regret being so quick to agree. Okay, so Kol said that the spell is in one of his grimoires, and I need help retrieving them." Bonnie said hesitantly as she took a seat at the kitchen table while Caroline busied herself in heating up chamomile for the both of them to calm their nerves before going to sleep.

"Sure, doesn't seem bad. Where are they?" Caroline replied as she put the kettle on the stove, her back to the former witch, who was playing with her hands.

"He said they're in his home in New Orleans." Bonnie said.

Caroline abruptly put the mug down on the counter. "New Orleans? Are you sure?" She said, trying to keep her tone even when inside, giant alarm bells were going off. Caroline tried to keep the rising panic to a minimum, as she realized the implications of her best friend's words.

"Yes, he was absolutely clear. Apparently he has a library full of them. Care, I know it's a lot to ask, but you're the only one." Bonnie said pleadingly.

Caroline knew exactly why her friend had waited until they were alone to ask for her help. Stefan's brow would sink further into its frown, while Damon would crack a joke about her relationship with Klaus and Elena would refuse to acknowledge that there could ever be anything between the two of them at the merest mention of the hybrid and his new home. In the end, they would all come to the same conclusion that Bonnie had: Caroline was the only one of them who could possibly dare to enter the Originals' city and make it out alive. A small scoff escaped her as she thought of how unfair the whole situation was. Their meeting in the woods was supposed to be a goodbye, the first step in moving on from their weird relationship until Caroline could come to terms with it, after she'd traveled the world and achieved everything she wanted. She had made him promise to never come back to Mystic Falls because she wanted to spend time with her mother and friends before it was too late, and have time figure out who Caroline was apart from Klaus, from Tyler, from Elena or anyone else. She figured that if Klaus was serious enough about being her last love, then he could wait until she figured out if he was hers as well. But now, circumstances were leading her straight to him.

"New Orleans, of course it would be that bloody city again!" She said under her breath.

Unfortunately, Bonnie's hearing was better than she thought, because the former witch picked up on her frustrated words. "Did you just bloody?" The witch asked puzzled.

"No, of course not." Caroline said quickly. Damn Klaus, he was getting to her from the other side of the country. "If it's the only way, then fine, I'll call him."

"Thank you, Caroline." Bonnie said gratefully.

"Tomorrow, though. I'm in no mood for Klaus and his antics tonight." Caroline said as she poured two hot mugs of chamomile. If only she had some of the Salvatore's whisky to go with it…

* * *

"Fine, you've caught my interest. What do the Travelers want with us doppelgangers?" Katherine asked from her perch atop a rock. Silas had disappeared after their last conversation to go and try to talk some sense into the crazy pants Original doppelganger, and she had done some exploring on her own. The place she found herself seemed to be infinite shades of gray and black, with no visible end, almost like a never-ending forest in grayscale. It provided no clues about her current prison or how to escape it, which had frustrated her to no end. She had spent 500 years running and surviving only to be defeated by ancient witches with a plan to-to- well, whatever it is they were planning.

"Ah you're back. I knew you couldn't stay away, Kitty Kat." Silas said with an evil smirk that Katherine was quickly coming to realize was his signature-and only- look.

She flew at him faster than an eye could see, using her vampire speed to pin him up against a tree. It felt nice to be back to vampire capacity while the others seemed to be humans or witches in this prison dimension they found themselves in. "Never call me Kitty Kat again, okay?" Katherine said, flashing her best bitch face as her fangs came out. She let the witch drop after his quick nod, and made a hand gesture that signaled for him to continue with his tale.

"Feisty. I like it." Silas said, brushing himself off after a hard landing with the ground. "As for the Travelers, I have no idea what they want from us, other than to channel our doppelganger line for power for something apocalyptic I guess."

* * *

**AN: One of my favorite chapters to write! I hope you enjoyed Kol's intro (please read everything he says in Nathaniel Buzolic's voice) and all the little tidbits leading up to next week, where there is FINALLY some Klaroline interaction! YAY!**

**Couple of quick questions as I'm outlining the middle section of the story and would like some input from you guys: do you want Kol and Bonnie as a couple or just friends? And Rebekah to be with Stefan, Matt, or...? **

**Please let me know in the comments! I loooove reviews!**


	5. All That's Left Is a Ghost of You

**Chapter Five- All That's Left Is a Ghost of You**

**AN: So sorry this is a couple hours late b****ut life got in the way****...**

* * *

**To all the reviewers who gave me their views on the story's pairing, THANK YOU! I loved hearing all about your favorites, and while i obviously can't make everyone happy, I'll try my best to satisfy all of you. I don't have a lot of time to address all the guest reviews personally, so I'm just going to answer this one that brought up such an amazing point! (and don't ever be scared about criticizing, I love critiscism because**** it makes me a better writer)**

**Guest: **Just stumbled upon this story and I love it! Can't wait till Caroline meets up with Klaus. However I do think Hayley is portrayed poorly, I mean I wish she was like that in the how so my hate for her would be valid but I don't think she's that selfish. Good story tho**!**

**Thank you for bringing up the hayley point! i actually portrayed her like that on purpose, because we only saw the chapter through the eyes of the originals, who are obviously biased, and there is another important reason that would spoil the story. So... Yes its unfair, but it will be explained!**

* * *

Katherine and Silas were still talking about the Travelers and their possible plans when another presence joined them. Katherine looked up, annoyed, thinking that it might be one of the other doppelgangers. She had only met Amara once, and the girl, while calmer than during their last encounter, was still a complete lunatic, with wild hair and a crazed look in her eyes that made her almost indistinguishable from her younger clone. The Bulgarian beauty had also had the misfortune of meeting Tatia in her hell-hole of a prison-they really need to come up with a name for it- and the two doppelgangers had almost come to blows. Despite being nearly identical, Katherine and Tatia differed in temperament so greatly that it was hard to believe Elijah had fallen for both doppelgangers. While Katherine searched for any clue about their current situation, Tatia sat on a rock and cried about her misfortune. As Katherine searched for ways of escape and nourishment, Tatia sobbed and asked why it must be her that suffered, and so on so forth. Indeed, even Amara shied away from the wailing Tatia as the girl wore herself more and more ragged, making her insufferable to everyone else.

However, Katherine was wrong on both counts. A figure had appeared in the clearing that her and Silas were currently sitting and discussing possible motives for the Travelers, but it didn't belong to either of her doppelgangers. A young girl, no more than 17, was standing on the edge of the tree line wearing a white nightgown and a confused expression. She had dark, ebony hair and a soft round face that still carried the roundness of childhood. Something about her made her seem almost like a child, lost and alone, and Katherine realized she looked a lot like Nadia would have in her teens. The doppelganger's cold heart softened at the thought of her long lost daughter, and she had a motherly urge to shelter the lost girl that found herself in the same prison as her. She quickly shook it off and steeled her heart once again as she realized that despite her age, the girl might be one of the Travelers that kept her captive. Katherine Pierce was a survivor, and she could not be fooled a bit of girl that reminded her of her own child. She stood up, taking a defensive stance, staring straight at the shadowed form of the girl.

"Who are you?" Katherine asked, her usual combative tone front and center, as she grabbed the girl's arm in a tight grip to prevent her from escaping and dragged her into the clearing, where she could be better seen.

"You can actually see me?" The girl asked, surprised.

"Why wouldn't we see you? Are you one of them?" Katherine asked.

"One of whom?" The girl replied, even more puzzled than before.

"The Travelers, duh." Katherine said with a roll of her eyes. If this was the best that the witch group had to send against her, then they really needed to step up their game. She couldn't believe that this naïve child could be any kind of threat.

"She's obviously not colluding with them, Katerina dear" Silas piped in his annoying way. He had taken to calling her Katerina after sifting through her memories one afternoon while she slept, knowing that hearing her true name bothered her. There were only two people alive who actually called her that, and one of them she loathed and the other she loved. "Let's ease up on the hostility, shall we?"

"How do we know she's not just a good actress, huh? Trying to earn our trust?" Katherine asked, refusing to back down

"I'm Davina." The girl said, in a soft voice, her comment aimed at Silas. She obviously thought him to be the harmless one of the two, and Katherina had to resist an eye roll at that. If need be, she would play the villain to keep them safe, but she really had nothing on the immortal sitting across from her.

"Pleasure to meet you, Davina dear. I'm Silas, and the bitchy one over there is Katerina Petrova, better known as Katherine Pierce. Now, what made a little girl like yourself stumble into our little corner of hell?" Silas asked, the condescending note in his voice unmistakable.

"I don't know. I was dreaming and all of sudden found myself transported here. Am I back on the Other Side?" Davina asked.

"Not exactly, no. We were kept out of the Other Side and confined to this hell-like prison by an unusual set of witches called the Travelers." Katherine said. "What do you know of the Other Side?"

"I was there for a while, as I was one of the Harvest girls. It's a ritual, down in-" Davina said.

"Down in New Orleans, yes." Katherine cut her off, letting of her arm. "I didn't know that barbaric ritual was still going on, I thought I put an end to it last time I was there." She was bothered by the mention of the ritual, as it brought back bad memories from her own human life, and she had done her best to end it. Apparently, she had failed. No longer doubting the girl, she eased off on her combative stance, and instead sat back down on her rock, crossing her legs as she thought for a minute about the implications of the little witch's arrival. Maybe there truly was a way out, since she had found a way in without doppelganger blood.

"Harvest? New Orleans? You're a witch then?" Silas asked.

"Yes, but I don't really know a lot about magic, since I just started training a few months before the Harvest. What is going on here, though?" Davina asked, completely confused by the two other supernatural beings.

Katherine had however stopped listening to the conversation. She had a calculating look on her face as she assessed the young witch and thought of the significance of the Harvest to New Orleans and its supernatural population. Then, nodding to herself as if she had finalized a course of action, took charge of the conversation. "No time to explain. Listen, I think you were pulled here due to the pull of the Harvest magic and having already visited the Other Side, which means as you as you start to wake you will go back. You're in New Orleans now, right?" Katherine asked, waiting for a confirmation from the young witch. At Davina's hesitant nod, she continued, "Right, so is the Original family still hanging around there?"

"Yes, I've been staying with them after I was resurrected. Marcel thought-" Davina said.

Katherine once again interrupted the poor girl. "I need you to get a message to Elijah then. Do you think you can do that and then channel yourself back here?" Katherine asked.

"I'm not sure if I will be able to come back, but maybe Elijah will know a spell. What shall I tell him?" Davina asked, happy to finally be able to finish a sentence.

"Tell Elijah everything we've discussed so far, and that the Travelers are planning something big, apocalyptic. He needs the Anchor to the Other Side in Mystic Falls and to find out their agenda. Can you remember that?" Katherine asked, assessing the other girl.

"Yes, I think so. Travelers, prison, Silas and Katherine, possible apocalypse, Anchor, Mystic Falls." Davina said, committing the list to memory.

"Good. Thank you Davina, for your help." Silas said, fascinated at the conversation, since he could understand few of the names mentioned. He vaguely remembered Elijah from his snooping around Katherine's head, and he thought that the Anchor was his much beloved Amara.

"Davina, one more thing? Could you tell Elijah that I" Katherine took a deep breath as she steeled herself, "-I miss him? Very much." Katherine said in a small voice as the hurt from her last moments came back. She had wanted desperately to say goodbye to the one constant in her life, to finally utter the words she had been so afraid to say ever since he betrayed her the first time, but instead had been unable to see the one who mattered the most. At least this way he would have closure, she thought, unable to believe the rumors that Elijah had moved on with Hayley, of all people.

Davina's face twisted in sympathy and pity for the dead doppelganger. "I will. I think I'm going back now, there's this weird pull-" Davina said.

"Thank you, Davina. I promise, your help will be well rewarded." Katherine said, but it was too late. The girl had already vanished just as suddenly as she had appeared.

A few quiet moments were shared between the remaining people in the clearing. "An old flame, this Elijah?" Silas asked.

"Something like that." Katherine said, not meeting the witch's eyes.

"Sounds like unfinished business to me."

"Why do you care?" Katherine asked, reconstructing her usual defensive shell.

"Why, dearie, I'm a humanitarian." Silas replied with a smirk. At Katherine's raised eyebrows and disbelieving look, the smirk faded and was replaced with a thoughtful look. "Chalk it up to boredom. Or maybe I've spent the entirety of my 2,000 years seeking love, and I know a thing or two about it."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm not in love with Elijah. We've been through too much to ever get a happily ever after. He's more like a bad habit I can't kick." Katherine said, trying to sound nonchalant. In 500 years of running, she had learned that the slightest weakness could be used against you, and Elijah was the only weakness she had allowed herself. For herself and the noble Original, she could not allow Silas to see the true regard of her affection. They might be allies for the moment, held together by a common desire to escape their prison, but that was no guarantee for tomorrow.

"Sure, dear, if telling yourself that helps you cope." Silas said with a smirk, patting her hand. "Love like that can never be escaped, believe me."

* * *

Davina woke up with a gasp. Ever since she had died and come back, her dreams had involved nightmares of going back to the Other Side, the emptiness and loneliness of the place. Tonight was the first night that she had had a different dream, which elicited a smile from her. It seemed that the spell she had placed on the herbs currently resting underneath her pillow. No matter how weird the dream had seemed, she was content that at least it involved none of the usual terrors. Getting out of her luxurious bed at the compound with a smile, she flitted over to her closet to pick a flowery dress for the day to reflect her upbeat mood. It was only as she was tying on her necklace in front of the mirror that she noticed the purple bruise on her left wrist, reminding her of where the girl had grabbed her in her dream. Katherine had been a vampire, and her grip had been strong enough to leave purple indentations of her fingers around the young witch's wrist. It had all been real, Davina realized, causing her to panic. She could have died all over again last night had she said or done one wrong thing, and this time, there would have been no coming back.

She put a hand in front of her mouth to stifle the gasps that were coming out of her as she tried to calm down. They could have hurt her, killed her, but they hadn't. Instead, they had trusted her to rely a message to Elijah. Normally, Davina had been taught not to trust dreams and visions, due to vampire's ability to influence them, but this had been no vision. Katherine and Silas had been trapped, unable to go to the Other Side or find a peace. And that was truly a fate worse than death.

Deciding that getting a message to Elijah could do no harm, the young witch slipped on sandals and went down to find the kindly Original.

* * *

Elijah woke up not knowing how he had ended up in bed, fully clothed and reeking of cheap alcohol. It was unlike the oldest Original to be so untidy, and as he slowly dragged himself from the last dregs of sleep, he remembered the previous night's news. Katerina's demise, his destructive path through the city's bars, and his brother's unusual sympathy all came back to him as his heart constrict it. It seemed unfair that he had forgotten even for a minute while asleep that he was truly alone on this Earth, with no one to call his own. Changing into a pair of comfortable pajamas, Elijah returned to bed, seeking the oblivion of sleep for a few more hours before once again facing the truth. Of course, now that his heavy thoughts had returned, sleep was eluding him once again.

He was rescued by a timid knock on his door. Fixing his appearance slightly, trying to hide his mussed up hair and dishelved clothing, he cautiously approached the door, wary of his brother or sister. Klaus had hunted Katerina for centuries, and despite his unheard of sympathy the night before, it was unlikely that his view on love had shifted overnight. Love was a vampire's greatest weakness his brother staunchly believed, despite all of Elijah's efforts, and by now, the polished Original doubted anything could change that ideal. His sister had also famously never been a fan of Katerina, despite having softer views of love as a whole, and the subject was still touchy between the two of them. It wasn't a surprise then that Elijah was not eager to meet whoever awaited him on the other side of the door.

"Elijah?" Davina's voice said timidly. "I can come back later if I'm disturbing you." The young witch said as Elijah still hesitated to open the door. Reassured that a more neutral party waited, Elijah tried his best to fix his usual impassive mask and opened the door.

"Not at all, Davina. What may I do for you?" He asked, with his accent coming thicker than usual due to his distress. The teenager seemed taken aback at his appearance, noting his stubble and unkempt clothing, uncombed hair that stuck up on one side where he had slept on it and black bags under his eyes. Elijah waited for the witch to regain her composure, unapologetic for his looks. Little mattered to him anymore, as if the cares that had seemed paramount yesterday had no weight today. Who cared if the Quarter fell into disarray? That was the way of the world: kingdoms rose and fell, men and women inevitably died. Only he watched it all.

"I had a weird dream last night that I think wasn't a dream at all." Davina said.

"I'm no expert on dreams. I think one of your elders might be better suited for this question." Elijah said, turning back around to reenter the comforting darkness of his room.

"No, wait! I don't trust them, and they don't trust me. You said once before that you'd teach me magic and protect me, and people say you're a man of your word." Davina said, grabbing Elijah's arm. For a moment, Elijah wanted to rip the girl apart at daring to insinuate that he was not keeping his word, until he realized that she was right. He had done little to help Davina, both now and before her death, too caught up with his brother's baby and the state of the Quarter. However, he still remembered his first meeting with the girl, and how much she had reminded him of Katerina. They were in similar circumstances- running away from an ancient sacrifice- and shared a kind of innocent belief of the world that masked a core of strength. Davina had been like a chance to do the right thing, to do what he should have done five centuries earlier with Katerina. And he had failed at that too.

"You're right. Meet me in my study in fifteen minutes, and we'll discuss the matter further." Elijah said with a small smile. He would help the girl like he should have helped Katherine, but that would be his last act in New Orleans. He was finished trying to build a home for himself and his family, because he no longer had the will and the strength to go on. That too was ripped away with Katherine's death.

"Thank you, Elijah." Davina said, before turning to go talk to her friend/escort Josh. The Original closed the door and proceeded to pick up his precious suit from the ground where he had angrily thrown it earlier and placed it in the pile of clothes to be dry cleaned. By the time his fifteen minute deadline passed, Elijah found himself in his study, garbed in a nearly identical suit and tidied up.

"Davina, what was your concern about your dream? How may I be of service in easing your fears?" Elijah asked, his tone slightly patronizing to the younger witch. His grief was causing him to act in ways much different than his usual tactfulness, and it was becoming quickly obvious to the young witch that there was some underlying issue for the Original.

"I'm not a scared little girl, Elijah." She replied, turning her nose up and sitting a little bit straighter. She had been a pawn in the game for New Orleans for too long, had allowed the vampires and then the Originals intimidate her and bench her on the sidelines in the war for the city, but it was time that she stood up for herself, or risk a life in service to them. "I was told to pass a message for you, and that's what I'm doing."

"Fine, what is this urgent message?" Elijah asked, leaning back in his chair slightly.

"A group called the Travelers is mobilizing something big, something that requires the power of multiple sacrifices and is probably apocalyptic. She said that she might explain better but you need an Anchor, I don't know to what, and that it is found in Mystic Falls, and she-" Davina explained as best she could. In the eagerness of youth, she had rushed through, however, leaving the Original pondering her first words before jumping in and interrupting her.

"Who is she?" Elijah said, trying to keep the hope out of his voice. It sounded like the young witch had encountered someone on the Other Side, and that someone had mentioned little Mystic Falls. He was trying not to set his expectations too high, knowing that he'd be invariably disappointed the moment he turned out to be wrong, but still a little bud of hope refused to give up.

"Katherine, she was the one who did most of the talking, but there was a dude there, a Silas maybe? It was a weird name. Anyways, she said that you need to act now and that she will explain better in person, so-"

"Katherine? As in Katherine Pierce?" Elijah said frantically.

At Davina's nod, a giant grin broke through. Katerina was on the Other Side, still helping him beyond the grave. She hadn't moved on, hadn't found peace with her daughter like his brother had thought, which meant that there was still a chance for Elijah to get her back. Now all that was missing was a way, and Elijah was determined to find one. It didn't matter how long it took or who he'd have to chase down, because Elijah would find a way to bring Katherine back to the land of the living.

Davina watched as conflicting emotions passed on the usually stern Original's face. Elijah's mask of neutrality was broken as grief, hope, love, and relief all flashed in his warm brown eyes. The young witch finally put together the two, and realized that the girl she had met was the same that the hybrid used to taunt his brother, the same girl that Elijah had told her about before she underwent the Harvest ritual. The girl the oldest Original still loved very much it seemed.

With a soft voice, she relayed the final part of Katherine's message. "She also said that she missed you, very much, and that she trusted only you for this message."

Elijah's bowed head nodded, and after a few moments, he regained his composure enough to actually lift it and look Davina straight in the face. She noticed the telltale marks of tears down his face, but did not mention it. "Thank you, Davina, for your role as messenger. I'm afraid I was a bit brisk with you earlier, but I'm hoping you'll forgive me. I just recently learned of Katherine's demise, and well, lashed out, much like my brother."

"It's forgotten." The young witch said with a smile.

"If what Katherine said is true, we must act fast, and I'm afraid I'm going to need your help." Elijah said.

"I'm done being used like a pawn, Elijah. It's time that the witches of the Quarter were independent." Davina said.

"Be that as it may, if these Travelers are successful, there may not be a French Quarter. In exchange for your help, I'd give you my word of your independence from my family and access to our collection of grimoires."

Davina pretended to consider the offer for a minute, but already knew that it was a generous one, one she would not have gotten from his siblings. "It's a deal then."

"Now we only need my darling sister and brother to agree."

* * *

Klaus had decided to go ahead and schedule a meeting with the different factions of the city himself. It was after all, his kingdom, and he should not be relying on Elijah to rule it. Gathered around an antique table in the dimly lit dining room of his mansion sat the leaders of each faction, and all regarded one another coolly as Klaus leaned back in his chair and propped up one ankle. Without any help from him, they would destroy one another, he thought in amusement. Almost tempted to allow them to just to relive the boredom that came after a conquest, Klaus instead called the meeting to order.

"That's enough if all of you want to leave this room intact!" He said calmly.

All four heads snapped towards him at his quiet threat. Fear was evident in the newly elected mayor's face, who had replaced the cursed priest as the human's liaison with the vampire, while both Diego and Jackson the newly-human werewolf looked ready to pick a fight. Klaus was ready for them to throw the first hit, hitching for a fight to let go of pent up steam from the previous night's fight with Elijah. Alas, both realized their slim odds and relaxed slightly to allow him to continue, denying him a good brawl.

"I want to establish some rules in this shadow of the city I built. The Quarter will be split between the vampires and werewolves, equally, presided by myself and my family."

At that, both Diego, the vampire's representatives ever since Marcel had been exiled from the city, and Jackson, some werewolf that Hayley claimed was the leader of the formerly-cursed pack in the bayou, protested. "Never," the wolf growled, his eyes flashing yellow at his ancient enemy sitting across the table.

"The vampires will never agree to this! We rule the city, not them!" Diego yelled at the same time.

"You ruled the city, and now I do. And I, being a hybrid, have decided to allow the werewolves out of the bayou to explore the other side of my nature. If the vampires don't like it, they can just as easily take the werewolves' place in the bayou." Klaus said with a smirk, knocking back a glass of the finest bourbon.

"And the witches? Is their oppression going to continue?" Genevieve asked. The red-head witch had taken the role of elder of the witches' coven, since all others had died.

"I will allow you the freedom to practice magic as long as all the witches of the Quarter agree to my set of terms." Klaus responded.

"Which are?" Genevieve asked

"I want help from the witches whenever required, and of course no spells aimed towards myself or those under my protection, and the young witch." Klaus said with smirk.

"Davina is a Harvest girl! She is critical in restoring the power of the witches, and needs to learn the ways of magic. How can a group of vampires ever hope to teach her?" The witch asked, her voice emotionally fraught as she fought for the witches' only bargaining chip in this meeting.

"Rest assured, we will take good care of her. Do you agree with the terms or must I rip out your heart again and get another, more amenable witch for these councils?" Klaus asked impatiently. He could hear movement on the floors above them, which meant that Elijah was awake, and he wanted to go and see his brother's state of mind and whether his precious artist studio was in danger of suffering the same fate as the living room the day before.

"I agree." The witch said reluctantly, her voice barely above a mumble.

He passed around a piece of parchment and a knife, and one by one, they signed it in blood, swearing their faction's allegiance to him and the Mikaelson family forevermore. When it finally returned to him after making its way all around the table, he smiled in satisfaction, a feral grin that exposed his fangs. It wasn't a smile at all, but rather a victory grin that looked all too malicious. Klaus Mikaelson had won the Quarter, regained the home he had built for himself just like he'd set out to do. And yet, it felt all too empty. He lacked anyone to celebrate his victory with. He had pushed away his family, and the only other person he wanted to share it with was miles away, forgetting him with each passing day. Never before had a victory been so meaningless, so banal, that Klaus had actually doubted himself like he was doing now as he ushered in refreshments.

As everyone was milling around, sipping alcohol and blood for the vampires, the door slammed open, and a black blur shot through. A groan escaped from Jackson, the werewolf who had been speaking with Klaus, and he keeled, over, a dark hole in place of his heart. Elijah stood behind him, the hem of his white shirt sleeve soiled in blood as he held out the werewolf's heart towards his brother.

"I think it's time we had a little chat, brother." Elijah said calmly, dropping the still beating heart at Klaus's feet and taking out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his hands.

"Elijah. I see you're up and kicking. I assume you wish to speak of Katerina?" Klaus asked, dismissing the rest with a nod of his head. None of them needed to be told twice. Diego rushed out at vampire speed, and the human mayor ran almost as fast with a high pitched squeal. The witch backed out a little bit slower, but she too was soon gone.

Neither of the brothers noticed. Their gazes were locked with one another's, staring each other down. Grief and anger clouded Elijah's brown eyes while steely resolve shone in Klaus's ice blue ones. Katherine had always been a matter of contention between the two of them, and neither was willing to back down this time. Elijah had too much at stake, too much to lose if he did not gain his brother's help in returning his lost love. Klaus, of course, had no interest in doing anything to help Katherine, the girl who had delayed the breaking of his curse by half a millennium.

"There you are, Elijah, I've been trying to find you for the last hour!" Rebekah's voice said from the entry hall. The blonde sister entered the room only to find her two brothers ready to tear each apart.

"What's going, Elijah? What's happened?" She asked, alarmed. Rebekah had thought that the family had settled the majority of their differences at the cemetery the other night, and now just had to work on being a family again, but apparently she was wrong.

Elijah finally broke his gaze with Klaus to answer his sister. "I know about Mystic Falls, Rebekah. How could you do that to me? The one girl I've ever…loved, and you couldn't even give me the chance to say goodbye. You, who knows what it feels like to have love ripped from you, you, who I've always protected." He said, shaking his head at her.

"How could you? Either of you!" He chastised them, a fire in his eyes that had never existed before. "How is this supposed to be a family, when we have all forgotten the meaning of family?"

Neither of siblings had an answer, and instead they stood side by side, almost unconsciously banding together against his rage. They two blonde Mikaelson had always shared a closer bond than their other siblings, and even when fighting, they still stuck together. In any other circumstance, it would have made Elijah glad, lifted his spirits, but not today.

"Lijah-" Rebekah tried to explain, her voice soft.

"No, Rebekah, I do not need your justifications. Niklaus's actions I can explain away as his usual childish behavior and vendetta, but not yours. Yours was the unkindest betrayal, the knife at my back that I never saw coming. So just tell me, why?" The suited Original asked, his voice breaking in the last question. He had a wild look in his eyes as he untied his constricting tie and ruffled his hair. Elijah was doing his best not to tear up again, because he hadn't realized in his earlier grief just how much his siblings' betrayal hurt. Now that he was standing in front of them, it all felt too real.

Rebekah took a deep breath, blinking back tears at the raw hurt in Elijah's voice. In all her years, she had always thought Elijah as cold and rational, but that was not the man that was standing in front of her. Her always sympathetic heart was breaking for her older brother, and Klaus as well, who was masking his own sorrow for their sibling through a clenched jaw and wide eyes. "Lijah, we were wrong. We should have told you."

Another deep breath, and a step forward. "I should have told you. Nik wanted to, in truth, but I convinced him otherwise. I wanted you to move on, to be happy, to spare you the pain that you're feeling now. I saw you with Hayley, and how happy you seemed, smiling and laughing, and I just couldn't bear what the news would do to you. You would have ran back to her, and gone back to the cold, controlled brother rather than this warm one you've been for the past few months. I'm sorry, I was wrong and selfish." Rebekah admitted in a long rush. She had never been so honest with one of her brothers, laying it all on the line.

"Yes, you were, so wrong. It is our niece that has given me hope and joy for these moths, the hope for our family that she symbolized, not Hayley. She has many insurmountable flaws, and besides, I could never love her. I have only ever truly loved once in my lifetime, and she-she-she" Elijah couldn't bear to finish his sentence. Rebekah closed the now small distance between them and hugged her oldest brother in a rare display of affection between the siblings.

Elijah hid his face in his sister's neck, grateful for the chance to regain his composure as he wrapped his own arms around her. Rebekah still smelled of freesias and spices, just like she had as a little girl in a rudimentary hut, and that comforted Elijah for some unknown reason. A thousand years on the run had caused little time for physical affection or closeness between the siblings, and Elijah could scarcely remember the last time he had hugged one of them. It was probably his biggest regret, to never have hugged Kol or Finn goodbye, to let them know that despite everything, he still cared for them. Just another regret to add to his ever growing list.

"Brother." Klaus's voice said, causing the two siblings to break apart. Rebekah's comfort had been appreciated, but now had become awkward, as neither knew how Klaus would react.

"I admit the whole Katerina situation wasn't well handled, so as a peace offering, you may seek the help of Davina to contact her and say your final goodbyes. Let there be peace between the two of us before my child is born, so that we can start to work on putting our family to rights." Klaus said.

The hybrid would never admit how much his brother's pain had affected him, not even to himself, and yet there was this nagging feeling at the bottom of his chest that might have been guilt, or maybe just empathy. It made Klaus put aside his anger for just a brief moment and offer an olive branch, one of the most selfless things he'd done since the siblings' arrival in New Orleans. Now all that remained was whether Elijah chose to see it that way.

"I can do no more to help him." Davina's voice said from the doorway. Josh stood tense a half a step ahead of her, ready to grab the witch and run in case their intrusion in the Mikealson's family moment was unwelcome.

"Davina had a vision last night of Katerina being held in a shadowy prison with none other than Silas. Fortunately, Katerina was able to give Davina a message to me on her captors' and the news is dire." Elijah said.

"The Travelers are planning on exploiting the magical powers of the doppelgangers to bring about the end of the supernatural world as we know it, if not the Earth itself." He continued.

"Funny, I've always thought Katherine, Elena, and that bitch Tatia were conceited enough to think the world revolved around them. Who knew they were right?" Rebekah said snarkily.

"Rebekah." Elijah rebuked, earning him an eye roll from his blonde sister.

"She did not know much, but she gave me instructions to contact her again." The witch spoke up, her voice clear and strong across the distance from the doorway and the siblings, which had sat down at the dining table. Neither Davina nor Josh felt comfortable enough to join the volatile family, choosing instead to hover around the room's entrance. Klaus had one ankle propped up and was leaning back in his chair as if the proceedings held little interest for him, while Elijah's elbows were propped up against the table and his hands joined in a pensive gesture. Rebekah had availed herself of a blood bag left behind by the earlier celebration, and was now sipping the warm blood with a disgusted look on her face.

"How nice of Katerina, making herself once again a vital player in this twisted life even from beyond the grave. It seems we shall never escape the ghost of her." Klaus said.

"Niklaus, that's enough!" Elijah said with a low growl.

Klaus held up his hands with a mocking grin. "Simmer down, brother, I meant no disrespect. Katerina's persistence and survival instinct have made her a worthy opponent for the past five hundred years, an opponent I might never again encounter. I think now that she's gone I might actually have to admit the tiniest bit of respect for her, albeit grudgingly, especially in the face of her much blander doppelganger, Elena."

The comment, while not completely complementary seemed to restore the peace between the brothers. Klaus had spoken the truth in a surprising twist: Katherine's sense of self-preservation had been stellar, second only to that of the Original family itself. She had managed to surprise Klaus, the first to do so after a half of a millennium on the Earth, and had done so again and again, proving herself a worthy challenge. He might never again find an opponent so worthy as to his time and energies, which made him almost nostalgic for the long decades spent hunting the lively doppelganger.

"Katerina is the only lead that we have with these Travelers, and so we must take advantage of her knowledge. None of us here are familiar with this group of witches, since Kol was our main liaison with the witch community, and he too is gone. We must make contact again with Katerina if we are to preserve our world and our family." Elijah said.

Klaus and Rebekah looked confused as they tried to wrack their brains for mentions of the Travelers, but both seemed to be coming to the same conclusion as Elijah. "What do you propose we do, Lijah?" Rebekah asked.

"We need the Anchor to contact someone on the Other Side, and Katerina was kind enough to point us in the direction of Mystic Falls to begin our search. I know the two of you still have, er, attachments there, so I need to you to find out what the inhabitants of Mystic Falls know of this Anchor." Elijah asked.

"Easy. Matt told me that the Bennett witch had died, and the Scooby gang brought her back by creating some mess or another and making her the Anchor." Rebekah said with a smirk.

"And what are the chances of the Anchor helping us in that case, since Niklaus terrorized her friends?" Elijah said, reminding his blasé sister of the importance of the situation to him.

"Wait, so you guys actually know this Anchor person?" Davina asked with wide eyes.

"It appears to be so. My family has- a complicated history with the little town of Mystic Falls." Rebekah said.

"Is there anything these guys do not know?" Josh asked, more to himself than anything. He blushed slightly as he realized that the words had been spoken out loud.

"Apparently how to turn better recruits." Klaus said. Then, turning back to Elijah, he cocked an eyebrow and said, "True, I am not Mystic Falls' most beloved resident, but I do have some friends left in town. But it is not me that is the problem. It is Katerina herself really. What makes you think anyone in that town would lift a finger to help her?"

"I know Katerina was a hard person to know, but nobody deserves her fate. I'm sure that at least some of inhabitants of Mystic Falls have a shred of decency left in them. Stefan, perhaps, he was always so reasonable, and his friend, Caroline too, and Elena of course, always so compassionate…" Elijah said.

Klaus scoffed and even gave a little chuckle. Of Caroline's or Stefan's willingness to help he had little doubt, but Elena? His brother's naivety towards the latest doppelganger amused him to no end. He saw the shadow of innocence that had once belonged to Elena, but was long gone. Indeed, the doppelganger might one day even surpass Katherine herself in terms of cruelty.

Rebekah seemed to be of the same opinion. With a roll of her eyes, she said, "Elena? Really, brother? The same Elena who sat downstairs as Katherine lay dying and toasted to her death?"

"She did WHAT?" Elijah asked, flipping a coffee table over. A muffled "Whoah!" could be heard coming from the doorway from Josh, who was clearly unaccustomed to the quickly changing moods of the Original family.

It only took a moment for Elijah to internalize this new information. His hands clenched the leg of his suit tightly, fingernails drawing a slow trickle of blood, as he quickly sat back down. His blindness to Elena's faults hurt, especially when he had considered the kind doppelganger a friend of sorts. But imagining Katerina's pain in her final moments hurt even more. The feeling of being completely alone was one that he could relate to and often, but Katerina had not only been alone on her death bed, but mocked and insulted even. The calm Original swore revenge, just as soon as he regained his lost love.

"He's making Klaus look like the calm one tonight." Josh whispered in Davina's ear. Unfortunately, the former club kid had forgotten about the super human hearing that the others possessed, so the Original family heard the aside comment as well.

"Elena will be dealt with in her own time." Elijah said. "As for you, Joshua, if you wish to keep your tongue beyond this evening, I would suggest you keep it within your mouth, where it is safely out of reach of unstable vampires like myself."

Rebekah gave a little chuckle at her brother's threat, not expecting the typically uptight Elijah to be so sarcastic, while Davina stepped protectively in front of Josh. The young witch may have been powerless in the grand scheme of things, but she would protect her only friend to her dying breath.

"So how will we arrange a meeting with this Anchor?" Davina asked.

"Who knew that your summer trip with that trite busboy would ever actually come in useful, Bekah," Klaus said with the usual disapproval of Rebekah's summer trip with Matt, "Call him. He's good friends with the Anchor, and since you two had a-a thing- he should be able to help us."

Rebekah scoffed. "Matt cannot help being born in a backwater town or that his mother practically abandoned him!" She defended him passionately.

"Anyways, I would have already called him if somebody hadn't crushed my phone during his little tantrum the other night!" Rebekah added, pulling out her phone from her purse. The pink Iphone had a hole in the middle of its screen where it had been pierced by the white oak stake in its place in Rebekah's jacket pocket. It was useless.

Elijah groaned. "We cannot just show up in Mystic Falls! The Salvatores would love nothing more than to stake one of us with the last white oak stake! One of you must know somebody, anybody, that is close to Bonnie! For God's sake, you spent a year in that town!"

"Well, there is the little blonde bimbo Nik was always so obsessed with…" Rebekah said.

"What makes you think I even have Caroline's number?" Klaus responded immediately, his tone going harsh as a defensive note crept into his voice. Caroline was his one weakness, and it did not do that so many people knew that, especially dangerous ones like his siblings.

"The fact that you sometimes take out your phone and just stare at it as if it holds the answer your riddle, and have been doing that a lot more since our trip to Mystic Falls?" Rebekah said with smirk. Her brother thought that she had never noticed all the little changes he'd made for Caroline Forbes, but oh, was he wrong. It was perhaps a girl thing, to notice the little details, but Rebekah had taken note.

"She wouldn't answer, not in a million years." Klaus said. His voice was, unbeknownst to him, reverting back to a more insecure time, so much so that he sounded like his human self. His siblings had not heard that tone from their brother in a thousand years.

"Great, so call her on Elijah's phone!" Rebekah said, reaching over and grabbing said brother's Blackberry from his jacket pocket.

"Really, Lijah? A Blackberry? Just upgraded your Nokia flip phone?" She asked.

"NO, Rebekah!" Klaus snarled, fangs flashing as his glass violently met with the coffee table. "That's my last word on it!"

"You're in love with her." Elijah said softly, a shocked look in his eyes. Suddenly, it all made sense. Klaus's leniency with Rebekah, his previously unheard of sympathy the other night, and even the fact that he was here, listening to them talk about resurrecting Katherine without raising a single protest against it all led back to a simple girl in Mystic Falls. Elijah could barely remember her face, having only caught a glimpse of her at his family's ball, and yet she had managed to capture his brother's heart after a thousand long years. Whoever this girl was, he owed her his thanks, because she had managed to achieve what he hadn't, had found a way to his brother's human heart once more. In vain, he had searched for his brother's redemption in Hayley's child, had tried his best to get his brother to care, while all along there was a young girl in Mystic Falls who had already done so.

"Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, Elijah, and I have no such weakness. I leave that to you and Rebekah." Klaus said disdainfully. Only, this time it lacked the iron conviction that had always been behind that statement, the mantra that Klaus had cited to his siblings every time one of them found love, right before he ripped that same love from them.

"Better to have loved and lost, brother, than to never have loved at all." Elijah shot back at him.

"I'm seriously lost here. Who's Caroline? What does she have to do with the Anchor or Mystic Falls? And how do you know that town so well? Do you have an evil super villain summit there or something?" Davina asked from the doorway, interrupting the brother's speech.

"It is where my family was born, almost a thousand years ago, and where we attempted to rebuild our relationship. We spent the last year there, and lost two of our brothers and both our parents to that town." Rebekah explained, a trace of sorrow in her voice. No matter how much of an ass Kol was or how distant Finn, they were her brothers and she mourned them. Just like she mourned not the mother who had attempted to end them all, but the sweet woman who had taught her how to cook and tend a fire, how to braid hair, who had given her her blue eyes and blonde hair.

"Brother." Elijah asked, holding his phone out towards Klaus.

"I cannot, Elijah, I gave her my word." Klaus said, a pleading look in his eyes. He had promised Caroline, and he had always kept his word to her up to this point. It was the first step he could take to make her trust him, and he did not want to ruin the trust that he had built up. "I promised that I would never step foot in Mystic Falls and interfere with her life again."

"Well, you're not interfering with her life, just her friend's. Please brother, you owe me this at least for all the years you needlessly chased Katerina." Elijah pleaded one more time.

With a long suffering sigh, Klaus took the phone. Quickly unlocking it- 1492 was totally not an obvious password, you lovesick fool- he punched Caroline's number from memory. Having spent so long staring at her contact, he had it memorized, the digits burned in his memory forever.

A dial tone, then two. A long pause, and the phone beeps again. Maybe she won't pick up, he thought, saddened but excited by the thought at the same time. A short beep, and then the call connects. He hears a drawn in breath, and then her voice, the voice he'd been dying to hear ever since he saw her walk away from him in the forest without looking back, says, "Hello?". She sounds distracted, as if she were doing two other things at the same time and did not really wish

"Hello, love." He replies, his voice thick with his accent as the pure joy of talking to her washes through him. His face splits into a grin, a soft look of wonder in his eyes, and all of a sudden, Klaus Mikaelson does not look so evil. He is simply, just a man.

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**AN: So I'm an evil little tease... The klaroline action for this chapter had to be shifted over to the next because this thing is giant (like chapter 4 and 3 long). But at least you got the cute phone call at the end? She said, hopeful to avoid fandom rage... :) anyways, poor davina can never get a word in... Review/comment/rage at me... I'll be here! **


	6. But I have promises to keep

**Chapter Six- But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep**

**AN: Guys thank you so much! Your love for the story inspires me so much! (Title from the Robert Frost poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening")**

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**Guest: Yes, she was supposed to call him... You'll see :) (And to the other guest, yes yes I am evil :)!)**

**Mandy: Oh thank you so much! Your review was so sweet! I'll leave you to figure out the logistics of that kiss while you read this next chapter! :)**

**Sarah-Jane Runci: At this point, I have no plans for any of those characters to be part of the story, but since I'm still outlining the middle part of the story, nothing is sure! Thank you for your feedback though!**

**OK and now to what you've all really been looking forward to...**

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"Hello, love." A richly accented voice said in Caroline's ear, causing her to shiver in familiarity. The pen in her hand dropped with a soft thud to the table, and her eyes widened in shock.

The blonde vampire had been busy running her chemistry study group while planning her first major college event at the same time, a party one of the deans had asked her to throw. When the unknown number had flashed across her phone's screen, she had not hesitated to pick up, thinking that it was one of her vendors. Instead, it was _him_. His voice, his accent, his deep timbre, oh how familiar they sounded! It had been almost two months since their encounter in the forest, and sometimes, late late at night, she could admit to herself that she missed him. She wondered if she had made the wrong choice in telling him to never come back, in making him promise her, but she shouldn't have been worried. Klaus thought nothing of promises or trust, and it was no surprise that he'd broken his so soon. In fact, the only surprise was that she'd believed for a moment that he'd leave her life for good after her confession. How was she to know better, when his blue eyes had been so earnest, so open, so beguiling?

"Klaus." She said, her tone harsh as she abruptly stood up and walked away from the library table, standing outside next to blossoming cherry tree. Her study mates, too caught up in their own conversations, paid no heed to her absence.

"I thought I told you to stay out of my life?" Caroline asked when it became clear that he wouldn't take the first step. Her tone was cold as she tried to keep her simmering rage down. How dare he break her trust like that? She had laid herself bare to him on the condition of never meeting again, and here he was initiating contact once again. The gall of him was unbelievable.

"So you did, love." He said with a warm chuckle. "I'm only calling to ask if you could put me in touch with your friend Bonnie, and then I'll hang right up. It'll be like I never called. I won't even ask how your time at college is going, or about the doppelganger or the Rippah or even my good for nothing hybrid…"

"Stop! Okay, fine so I'm going to assume you have a damn good reason to be calling me and say that this is your one free pass if you tell me what you need from Bonnie in the next sixty seconds." Caroline said, cutting off Klaus.

His voice had been teasing as he listed all the things he desperately wanted to ask the pretty blonde, and she almost wished he did ask, because with him, Caroline never had worry about boring him. He genuinely cared when she spoke about her life, and wanted to know everything about her, how she thought, why she acted, what she liked and did not like. It was a nice change for her to be someone's only focus. Yet, it felt wrong that it was Klaus making her think, making her feel this way.

Caroline had also decided not to stay mad at Klaus for too long, since she had been dithering on calling him herself. She had promised Bonnie that she would enlists his and his family's help in finding the grimoire that Kol had spoken of, but had procrastinated on actually dialing his number, unsure of how to start the conversation. She had, after all, told him to get out of her life and then proceeded to have mind-blowing sex with him. It was kind of an awkward morning after conversation, and it was over two months late. It should come to no surprise, then, that Caroline was actually semi-relieved that the decision had been taken out her hands as he had taken the initiative to call her.

"My brother has a witch friend who has had an, ahem encounter with the prisoners of a shadowy witch group. The witch needs the Anchor in order to contact these prisoners again in order for my brother to rescue them." Klaus explained vaguely. The hybrid clutched the phone tighter to his ear, hoping that the explanation would satisfy Caroline. If any of the Mystics Falls gang found out that Elijah actually meant to bring Katherine back, they'd never agree to help them. He hoped he wouldn't have to outright lie to Caroline, and so had resorted in keeping the terms vague.

"Elijah found out about Katherine, didn't he?" Caroline asked intuitively. She was the only one who Bonnie had told about Katherine not passing through to the Other Side and instead being pulled away by some invisible force, and the two friends had agreed that the Travelers probably had something to do with the doppelganger's disappearance. So, as Klaus had explained in vague terms, she had realized that he could only refer to Katherine, despite his own obvious dislike for the doppelganger. She was actually amazed that he would do this much to help his brother regain Katherine, especially given the fact that Klaus would have loved to finish off the doppelganger himself.

"He did. How did you know?" Klaus asked, surprised. The situation he had described could have applied to many people, especially in Mystic Falls, where enemies and friends alike died every week. It was odd that Caroline had immediately jumped to that conclusion, and Klaus Mikaelson did not like oddities. A thousand years on the run had taught him to beware them, because more often than not they were clues to deeper issues beneath.

"Bonnie told me that Katherine did not pass through to the Other Side, and knowing her, she would be doing her best to get back on this side. That, coupled with a near perfect description of the Travelers, was kind of a dead giveaway." Caroline said with the blunt honesty she was known for. There was no sense in caution, even if this was Klaus, because it was rapidly becoming clear that whatever the Travelers wanted, it was not good. To defeat them, they would need the Originals' help. The issue of Elena and Damon may weigh heavily on their minds now, but they could not afford to forget about the Travelers in the shuffle. They were planning something, and with two buckets of doppelganger blood, the world was within their grasp. Yes, the Travelers were a threat to watch closely.

"I see. Katerina pulling strings from beyond the grave does not surprise me either, love." Klaus said, earning a glare from Elijah. His sister was smirking at him from the couch, obviously gloating that she had been right about his attachment to Caroline, and so he shot her a glare as he tried to guard his expression. "Anyways, Caroline, do you have any way for me to get in touch with the Anchor?"

"What makes you think Bonnie wants to talk to you? You're lucky I didn't hang up the phone as soon as you started speaking." Caroline said, curious.

"I'm sure the witch and I can come to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement." Klaus said arrogantly.

"Actually," Caroline said, remembering her own promise, "there is something you might be able to help with. You see, we have a little problem with a vampire virus, and some of our, er sources mentioned that there might be a spell in your family's collection of grimoires in New Orleans. Bonnie would exchange her help in return for a look at those." Caroline said.

"A vampire virus? Love, vampires do not get sick. It is one of the perks of immortal life." Klaus said with a small chuckle. Rebekah and Elijah, who despite their enhanced hearing, could only hear his side of the conversation due to a nifty spell on his phone, looked perplexed at the sudden change in topic.

"Well, to make a long, confusing story short, an evil doctor at our college spent years experimenting on vampire blood and created a virus that causes vampires to feed only on other vampires, and he injected Damon and Elena with it." Caroline explained. To be honest, even she could barely understand Wes and his motives, and had frankly not wasted time on it.

"Ah, the doppelganger and my least favorite Salvatore. Of course they would be too valuable, too important to sacrifice." Klaus said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Anyways, your request is simple enough, love. In exchange for your help and the Anchor's, you two can attempt to find the spell needed to save your friends." Klaus said.

"Whoah why would you need my help? My job here is done!" Caroline said. She had promised Bonnie her help in getting the Originals to agree to let them use their grimoires, and she had upheld her end of the bargain. Nobody had ever said anything about Caroline herself going down to New Orleans.

"Well, love, that's the deal. Take it or leave it." Klaus said harshly. It had, after all, been his plan all along, to get Caroline to come down to New Orleans with her friend. That way, he wouldn't be breaking his promise but would still have a chance with the plucky blonde. It was his way of maneuvering fate. "Besides, your friend might need some protection in a town like New Orleans now that she lacks her magic. Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to dearest Bonnie, now would we?"

Caroline knew then he had her. There was no way that she would let Bonnie go into the devil's lair by herself, defenseless and scared, and there really was no one except Caroline fit to accompany her.

"If anything happens to Bonnie, Klaus Mikaelson, I'll find a way to make you pay even if it takes me a thousand years. Are we clear?" The blonde threatened her voice venomous. Nobody threatened her friends, not in front of her.

"Is that a yes, love?" Klaus asked, a smug smile on his face that translated perfectly in his tone of voice. Actually, it was scary just how well Caroline could picture the look on his face just based on his words and the inflection on certain words. It was almost as if they were speaking face to face, so clear was his image in her mind.

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Caroline said, refusing to give in to his blackmail. She could not believe that she had forgotten just how much of a self-involved, commanding jerk Klaus was.

"Caroline…" Klaus growled in a low warning, but it was too late. A short blip indicated that the blonde had already dislocated the call. He threw the phone back to Elijah in a fit of rage, hard enough to shatter glass, but his calm brother simply raised one hand and caught it.

"Did the Anchor agree to help us, brother, or am I to assume by your gesture that your friend" and Elijah used that term very loosely there, "decided not to help us after all?"

"The Anchor will pay us a visit, brother." Klaus said, still in a low tone as a mentally tried to stopper his rage.

Elijah and Rebekah shared a look, surprised at the news. It had seemed that the conversation had taken a decidedly combative turn at the end, and yet their brother seemed to think that the Anchor's help was a done deal. It was a contradiction, to be sure.

Elijah gave a brief nod to Davina, indicating that the witch and Josh could leave, as their part was done until Bonnie's arrival. It was time to speak of family matters, and the oldest living Original did not wish to air their dirty laundry in front of others. No, family business was family only, and it would stay that way.

"Do not even start with me, Elijah" Klaus growled as soon as the two had left, "I have gotten you what you wished for, and the rest is my own business."

"See, Niklaus, that's what I find hard to believe. You're helping me, helping Katerina, forgiving Rebekah in your own way, without any benefit for you that I can see, and that strikes me as strange." Elijah said as his face wrinkled in consternation. He had been trying to figure Klaus out for centuries, but he was just an impossible jigsaw puzzle. Every time he thought he had the full image, something would shift or another piece would be added, and the whole puzzle was ruined.

"Must you ever question my motives, Elijah?" Klaus asked, offended. He was trying to be better, for his daughter's sake if nothing more, and yet still his brother questioned him. Just because he hadn't murdered an entire town of late did not mean he had changed, far from it, it simply meant that he was reining in those urges for a little while.

"Is he not right to? Have you ever done something purely for someone else's benefit in a thousand years, Nik?" Rebekah asked.

"No matter how you saw it Rebekah I have always put this family above everything, daggering you and Kol and Finn and even Elijah at times for your own good." Klaus replied, his face hardening.

"But why now, Niklaus? The timing is odd, you must admit, and the fact that you're helping me resurrect Katerina, whom you've hated for almost half your life, whom you've chased across oceans, is more than a little out of character." Elijah explained.

Klaus was about to go off on a tirade against his siblings, as his rage mounted up, but Elijah interrupted him: "I am not unhappy if this is really you trying to change, but even you must admit that there is more than a little suspicion bound to fall your way, brother. We are just asking why, not accusing you of anything."

Klaus gave a small shrug that belied his inner turmoil. On one hand, he was mad with anger that Elijah, his closest confidante, and Rebekah, his beloved little sister, would refuse to believe his good intentions. However, a small rational side of him understood their point of view, seeing as even he wasn't sure of why exactly he was helping Katherine. He had never much liked the girl due to Elijah's attachment, and had hunted her down for years, and yet he felt that maybe restoring her to Elijah would somehow atone for that. Buoyed by his conversation with Caroline, despite the uncertain ending, he chose to listen to that rational side, at least this one time.

"I've never liked Katerina, brother, that much you know, but I must say that all these years have given me a sense of respect for her will to survive. Consider this my one and only deed to atone for daggering you in Mystic Falls." Klaus said bluntly, with a nonchalance that belied the deeper meaning. Elijah seemed to get it however, because he only bent his head in slight acknowledgment as Klaus turned to the room's other occupant.

"And you, Rebekah. I do not know if I shall ever forgive you for your betrayal, but I am willing to put it aside to work together again. You were the only one I trusted for a thousand years, whom I've never doubted, and you shattered that. Do not expect more from me, because you shall not get it." Klaus said, harshly. He was ashamed to admit that his eyes were not completely dry as the feelings of hurt and betrayal rolled over him again, and his stare hardened.

Rebekah swallowed hard before she spoke. The hurt that her brother was trying to conceal was a stab to the heart she had not expected. "You've betrayed me so many times, Nik, daggering me, ripping away those I've loved. I've often thought that I would never forgive you, and yet look at me, by your side once more. None of us here in this room have the ability to promise never, because forever is a long time, and we'll always come back to this little dysfunctional tableau."

Rebekah took a breath as both her siblings looked at her in quasi astonishment. Neither had ever heard their sister use that chastising tone on Klaus or Elijah, but the blonde wasn't yet done. "So if you truly feel that way, Niklaus, I will leave you and give you a couple of decades to get over it, but not before I do my part in helping Elijah, who has ever defended me even when I betrayed him as well. But make no mistake, you will ask me back, and then it will be my choice whether to return." The Original said before waltzing out of the room. She had had her say, and now it was up to her brothers to do with it as they will.

A few minutes passed in silence as each brother absorbed their sister's words. Rebekah had always been a force to be contented with, mixing Elijah's careful planning with Klaus's sheer force of will in a lethal combination, but it was rare that she turned that sheer personality unto her brothers. Yet, all she had said rang true in their hearts.

Eventually, Elijah got up to leave as well, not acknowledging his brother until he got to the doorway. He stopped and paused, as if considering his words very carefully, before he said. "I want to believe in your pretty speeches, Niklaus, but I've been burned by you and your callousness too many times. Just know I'll be on my guard, and if you try anything, I will find a way to make immortality hell on Earth for you."

Klaus gave a short nod. "Threats, Elijah? You should know by now that I do not respond well to threats. I see there is little I can do to prove my sincerity to you, so I all you can do is wait to pass judgment."

"Do not make me regret this, Niklaus." Elijah said as he turned around and exited, leaving Klaus all alone. The hybrid spent a few more quiet moments, mulling over the day's events, before he too left the room. He had preparations to make and plans to hatch, a trap to set for a pretty blonde vampire.

* * *

Caroline hung up the phone in a huff. Klaus couldn't just blackmail her to come to New Orleans! Of course, she had originally planned to go with Bonnie to protect the Anchor just like the infuriating hybrid had said, but now she had half a mind to send someone else just to wipe the self-satisfied smirk of his face. He couldn't play her like a little violin, pulling her and pushing her until she gave in. No, Caroline believed that she had grown up in the past years from the girl who would have gone running and fallen into his arms. She was quite capable of standing on her own, thank you very much, with no help from the Original.

She opened the door to the bathroom that was part of the impossibly large dorm room/suite Caroline and her friends shared. Klaus had called her just as she was finishing her makeup, and so she hadn't even noticed that while she was chatting with him, so much time had passed. Bonnie was probably wondering if she had fallen into the toilet.

"There you are, Care! You were in there for forever! And with you, that's saying something." Bonnie said as the vampire poked her head in. The Anchor had jumped away from Jeremy, who had been sitting quite closely on the former witch's bed.

"Hey Jeremy," Caroline said with a small wave, which Jeremy returned with a warm smile and a wave of his own. Turning to her friend, she said, "Can I talk with you for a minute, Bonnie?"

"Sure." Bonnie said, with a questioning glance directed at Caroline and a small shrug in reply to Jeremy's unasked question.

"Sorry, Jer, girl talk. I'll have her back to you in just a minute!" Caroline said with a bubbly smile and a flick of her freshly curled hair.

Bonnie followed her best friend warily, unsure whether Caroline needed to rant about Tyler's vanishing act or Stefan or even Matt… At this point, the former witch had given up on figuring out Caroline's love life. The blonde seemed to have a penchant for getting in the wrong relationships for all the right reasons or vice versa, and seemed to always be the one to get the short end of the stick in the love department between the trio of friends. Most of all, Bonnie was finally happy in a relationship of her own, and did not want to rub that in Caroline's face, and thus was prepared to just listen as her best friend shared her grieves, much like the blonde had done for her.

"I talked to Klaus." Caroline said, as soon as they got far enough down the hallway that the typical noise of a college dorm masked their conversation.

"What? How? When?" Bonnie asked, surprised, since Caroline had seemed quite reluctant to approach the hybrid last time they had spoken.

"This morning. He called me." Caroline admitted.

"Well? What did he want? Will they help us?" Bonnie asked. Caroline bit her lip nervously, trying to gauge her friend's reaction to Klaus's request.

"Yes, they will." Caroline said, hearing a sigh of relief from Bonnie. "But he wants a favor in return."

Bonnie nodded. "I expect that. Nothing ever comes free in the supernatural world we live in. What does Klaus want?"

Caroline was relieved that Bonnie seemed to take this in stride. Maybe there was hope for her best friend to one day accept Klaus if she ever were to go there. "He just needs your help to get in touch with someone."

"Sounds easy enough." Bonnie said with a smile.

Caroline's face was grave instead. "No, Bon, he wants to talk to a dead _dead _person in order to resurrect them."

Bonnie's face twisted in a grimace at the implications of Caroline's words. Having people cross over from this side was excruciating enough, and she did not even want to think of the pain of someone undergoing the reverse journey. But did she really have a choice? It was either helping the Originals or watching her best friend from childhood die.

"You do not have to do this, Bonnie, not if you do not want to. I can call Klaus back, tell him-" Caroline said immediately as she noticed her friend's pained thoughts.

Bonnie cut her off. "Yes, we do Caroline. We have no other option and we are quickly running out of time. It's this or nothing."

"We can find some way, we always do!" Caroline said, ever the optimist.

Bonnie just shook her head, a sad smile towards her friend. "Not this time, Care. If it means saving Elena, I'll bear the pain of Klaus resurrecting Kol from the Other Side. How can I not, when she moved heaven and hell to bring me back?"

Caroline acknowledged the finality of the statement with a quick nod. Then, her head tilted to the side as she noticed Bonnie's mention of the other Original. "Why would you think Klaus is resurrecting Kol?"

Bonnie flushed bright red at her slip of tongue, not helped by the chuckling Original that had appeared at the mere mention of his name. "Yes, darling Bon-Bon, why ever would you think my evil brother would resurrect little ol' me?" Kol mocked.

"I don't know, I just assumed Klaus would-" Bonnie said, unsure who the remark was addressed to.

"Well, he's not. He wants to help Elijah bring Katherine back, not Kol." Caroline said with an eye roll. She sensed that there was more to the story than Bonnie was telling her, especially since Bonnie had always been a lousy liar, but now wasn't the time to push her best friend. They had a long car ride ahead in which she was confident in her ability to get Bonnie to talk.

"Oh yes, the pretty doppelganger with the vicious tongue. Figures my fool of a brother would be still so hung up on her to bring her back before me." Kol said, an almost hurt tone in his voice that he tried to conceal beneath a thick helping of malice. Bonnie, noting the fact for a later time, ignored him, choosing instead to stare at her best friend with comically wide eyes.

"Bring back Katherine? But that's impossible, Care! Remember? She never passed through!" Bonnie said worriedly.

"Klaus said they had a coven of witches at their disposal, but we do not have to worry about the spell, Bon. You're just there to serve as a conduit, and then we pop in, grab the grimoire, and are out of New Orleans within a day!" Caroline said with a bright smile, trying to bring her positive outlook to a grim situation once more.

Bonnie quickly shook her head and lowered her voice to almost a whisper as she noticed the other inhabitants of the dorm hallway. "No, Care! Listen, I haven't seen Katherine since right after her death. She's not on the Other Side, and neither is she a spirit- I don't even know where to begin looking for her!"

Caroline visibly paled at that. "Is she still alive then?"

"No." Bonnie said, thinking back. "I don't think so at least."

Caroline considered the situation for a moment, and then said, "Well, we can still uphold our end of the bargain. The witches can use you as a conduit, and if it doesn't work, we can just blame it on the spell."

"Care, I do not know-"

"Bonnie come on! This is Klaus we're talking about! Do you seriously think he won't double cross us if gets the chance?" Caroline said, trying to play on her friend's hatred of the Original family. Even if inside her stomach was churning at the thought of betraying Klaus, she would have forever to fix things between them. Elena didn't have forever if they failed in getting that grimoire, she rationalized.

"I suppose so, but Caroline this is also Elijah!" Bonnie said. "It-it just doesn't feel right to go knowing we cannot keep up our end of the bargain."

"Fine, so we tell them what we suspect after we get the grimoire." Caroline said.

Bonnie considered and then gave a quick nod. Kol, who had been quietly listening in, gave a small chuckle, and said, "My brother will definitely not like that, and we all know when Klaus is upset he gets a bit… murder-y."

Bonnie knew that the Original was right, but she also knew that Klaus wanted to impress Caroline, and her presence would keep him in check. Her friend seemed to mellow out the Original; at least, when Klaus was around here, he seemed to have at least a three step process instead of jumping directly to murderous rage.

Bonnie sighed and then gave a quick nod. "I suppose I better go and pack. Damn, I just finished unpacking from my trip with Tyler!" The witch said, exasperated. "And I better come up with a credible excuse to tell Jeremy about why I'm leaving, yet again."

Caroline gave her friend a quick eye roll and a knowing smirk. Bonnie was by far the biggest tomboy of them, and Caroline knew for a fact that her best friend had left with Tyler with one change of clothing and a small backpack. While the blonde could scarcely go a couple of hours without the comforts of home and her curling iron, Bonnie would be fine surviving for days in the woods outside of Mystic Falls with only the clothes on her back and the things she found. It was a wonder that they had ever become friends, and yet in an odd way, they balanced one another out. "I better start calling Stefan and grabbing my stuff as well."

Bonnie, who was already halfway down the hallway, paused and turned, confused. "Stefan? I thought our trip to New Orleans was going to stay between the two of us?"

"It was, but then Klaus brought up a good point. It is a battlefield down there, apparently, and I don't think I'm enough to protect you Bonnie. After all, everyone wants the power of the Anchor, and a lone baby vampire won't do anything against them."

"Care-"Bonnie started, her heart aching at the care her best friend had for her. Truthfully, she had not even thought about the possible danger of helping the Originals, but it was obvious that Caroline had, and was already taking measures to minimize it.

However, her blonde best friend wouldn't allow her to put her feelings into words. "I know Bonnie, but Stefan needs this to. He can't stand to be around Elena and Damon right now, and yet he feels responsible to look after them. If he keeps going, he's going to break, and we can't deal with the virus and the Travelers and Stefan as a Ripper all at the same time."

"Thank you, Caroline." Bonnie said simply, hoping that the brilliant smile she offered her friend would convey all that she couldn't say in words. The two friends departed, one to pack and the other to make the necessary calls.

* * *

"Whooah Stefan slow down. What do you mean Matt's found a solution?" Caroline said, holding her phone closer to her ear as she tried to focus on Stefan's voice through all the commotion in the downstairs hall. She had just finished telling him about the trip to New Orleans, and now he was catching her up on the newest developments from the boarding house.

"I'm just going to put him on. It is genius Care, pure genius!" Stefan said, his voice more excited than Caroline had heard it lately.

There was a quick muffled sound, and then Matt's sweet voice said, "Care? Did Stefan tell you?"

"No he didn't explain! What's going on Matt?" Caroline asked, frustrated.

"I think I've found a temporary solution to keep Elena and Damon alive, at least until you find the antidote." Matt said. "Since they're both vampires, if they swap blood, they shouldn't deteriorate further. This way we can ration our vampire blood until you guys get back!"

"Matt, I don't think I say this enough, but you're a genius! This is crazy enough it might just work!" She said with a delighted laugh. Matt made a noncommittal noise, and even over the phone, she could tell that he was blushing.

"I had help, you know-" He said, obviously uncomfortable with the praise.

"Oh shush, I know that you're much smarter than people give you credit for." Caroline said.

"Thanks, Care." Matt replied, obviously delighted at the compliment. Caroline's heart ached a little bit as she realized that Matt probably didn't get many of those, always lost in the supernatural shuffle and the case of the day. The lone human among them, and yet he remained by their sides through thick and thin, always ready to offer a comforting shoulder or to stand up to much more powerful beings in their defense. Good, dependable Matt, and they all took him for granted, her included. Well, she determined there and then, she would be better from now on.

"Care?" Stefan said. "You still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here." She replied quickly.

"So will you guys pick me up on your way down?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah, but do not expect us for a couple hours yet. I haven't even started packing!" Caroline said, a note of neurotic panic in her voice that made Stefan chuckle.

"Well just remember that I have to fit in the backseat alongside your bags." Stefan joked as they signed off.

Caroline walked upstairs, and found the room a mess as Bonnie attempted to find important grimoires and necessities for the trip. It caused a minor panic in her unbeating heart to see the room in such a state of disarray, but she put it aside for the moment. She needed to pack and to do it quickly. Pulling out her old cheerleading duffle bag, she put in a couple different changes of clothing, two dressier outfits (just in case, you never knew with the Original), and a couple of looser, comfortable outfits. In another bag, her giant makeup case and her beloved curling iron joined her favorite shoes, and just like that, Caroline was ready. She had never packed this fast in her life, and her mother would have been proud.

"Bonnie! Are you ready?" Caroline asked as she shouldered her two bags and made for the door.

"Just about." Bonnie replied, picking up a small grey suitcase of her own. "That was quick, Care!"

"Well, it wasn't like I actually needed to pack pack. I'm only planning on doing the spell, grabbing the grimoire, and getting the hell out of NOLA before any shenanigans, awkward situations, or bitching from the Original blonde wannabe." The blonde said, a sarcastic edge to her tone to hide her own nervousness about the trip to the Big Easy.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay with seeing Klaus? You do not have to come if it is uncomfortable for you, Care." Bonnie said for what felt like the hundredth time as the two girls set their bags in the trunk of Caroline's cute blue car and got in the front seats.

"Yeah, of course, I'll be just fine." Caroline said, stressing the 'just' in a clear sign of uneasiness. Bonnie decided to leave it at that, trying not to pry any further into the blonde's feelings at the moment, seeing as if Caroline looked bad enough. She had that determined look in her eyes that signified she was trying pump herself up and push down the tension, but it wasn't succeeding very well. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she made the turn into Mystic Falls, her knuckles white with the tension, and her blue eyes seemed stormy, unsure.

Not even Stefan's solid presence as they picked him up from the boarding house seemed to reassure Caroline, who looked as if she was fighting an internal war with herself. Bonnie just hoped that the rational side won that war, because she feared what their journey into the Big Easy might do to Caroline.

* * *

The trip was long, and as many road trips are, uneventful and boring. Stefan, who had been down in the dungeon in near constant shifts over the last couple days, quickly dozed off in the back seat, his head using the small pack he had brought along as a pillow. Caroline was lost in her own inner struggle, and replied to Bonnie's questions in monosyllables or distracted nods. Despite the reprieve they had received in worrying about Damon and Elena, thanks to Matt's idea, the vampire still looked ill-at-ease and preoccupied. The blonde said few words, which in itself was rare, but had also lost some of her ever constant positivity. It seemed that she dreaded this trip to New Orleans more than anything they had faced thus far.

This left Bonnie alone in the long car ride, with little to amuse herself. As anyone who's ever been in a long car ride knows, if nothing is done to pass the time, the person goes absolutely, stark raving mad. The former witch was quickly reaching that point. She envied Stefan's ability to sleep in the moving vehicle, and she worried for Caroline as well as her own fate and that of her friends. In short, she was being consumed by worries and insecurities, especially the ever rising threat of the Travelers, which had been shoved to the side so far in their quest to save Elena.

"Bon-Bon, did you call?" Kol said, poking his head from the back seat, where he was casually sitting next to Stefan. At this point, Bonnie would take even the annoying, ubiquitous Original over the boredom that was quickly eating her up.

"Don't you have somebody better to stalk, like maybe your family?" Bonnie replied, crossing over to the barrier on the Other Side. Being the Anchor, she straddled both worlds, so she always moved in both of them at the same time, yet she was physically present in only one at the time. Usually, she occupied the world of the living alongside her friends, which meant she could talk to them, touch them, interact with them. At the same time, the people who lived on the Other Side could see almost a Ghost Bonnie moving alongside them, and yet that copy was just a symbol of the Anchor's presence. Now that she wished to speak to Kol, she had quickly crossed over the border, so that she was still present in the car, but could talk to Kol without her friends overhearing. It was exactly what she had done at the boarding house a few nights before, and yet this time it was for much more self-serving reasons.

Kol shrugged at her question, and gave her a cocky half grin instead. "They're boring. Always up to the same old, same old. You, instead, my dear Bon-Bon, are a surprise, a puzzle I do not have all the pieces to. Plus, I can't resist a damsel in distress.

"Yet." He added, his grin lifting up, making his hazel eyes look impossibly devilish.

"I'm an open book." Bonnie replied, a knowing grin on her face. "Maybe you just aren't that good at puzzles?"

The rest of the car ride flew by it seemed, as the two talked and teased back and forth, neither admitting defeat. Bonnie was surprised at how much she enjoyed talking to the Original, how much she liked hearing of his long life and travels. She forgot about the bad side she had already seen, lost her misgivings in the Kol's boyish excitement over silly things like toy cars and architecture. Kol, on his part, was unable to his eyes off the engaging witch. Her guarded and mysterious air had drawn him that very first night, and yet he was surprised that he wasn't just attracted to her. No, he genuinely enjoyed talking to her, making her laugh. Pity that he would have to kill her friend and boyfriend after he was resurrected. He was, after all, a Mikaelson, and bygones are never bygones.

Caroline finally snapped out of her funk as she felt the traffic slowing down around her. On her left, signs advertising restaurants and hotels in New Orleans counted down the miles till their destination, increasing to her dread. No matter what, she promised herself, she would not let Klaus have the satisfaction of knowing that he unnerved her, bothered her in a way no one had ever done before.

"Bonnie? Stefan? We're here." She called out, her voice steely. New Orleans may belong to the Originals, but it had never seen someone like Caroline Forbes.

* * *

**AN: Couple of quick things: a. I felt like TVD gives us no explanation about Bonnie's Anchor powers, so I kinda made up my own and explained it before her conversation with Kol, if any of you are confused, PLEASE ask! b. Caroline's is kinda all over the place in this chapter, and I enjoyed writing her this way because Klaus keeps her off-balance, even from far away... Next chapter they meet face to face yaay! After like seven chapters but you know... :)**

**Thank you so much for reading and I look forward to your comments/reviews/questions!**


	7. Never Know What You Have Until It's Lost

**Chapter Seven- You Never Know What You Have Until You Lose It.**

**AN: Sorry a short note today because I've been so crammed with school. I want to apologize if this chapter is a day late, but there were hard parts for my Klaroline heart to write... You'll see. I'll answer reviews next time, so sorry about that, but just a shut out to that guest who pointed out that the phone call scene last chapter got messed up... A million star points to you! I'll fix it in a min, but thank you so much for pointing it out! I wrote the scene twice and meshed the two together for the final product, so thanks for picking up on that!**

* * *

If Elijah didn't know better, he would say that his brother was nervous. Klaus had been in overdrive mode since that call the night before, having his vampires clean out various rooms in the mansion and rearranging furniture left and right. He had even forced Rebekah to go out and find flowers for every room in the large house, and the mansion positively shone with good cheer. The windows and curtains were thrown open, alcohol bottles were thrown away, and most of all, Hayley was nowhere to be seen. After her outburst with Elijah, Klaus had her quickly moved to their other house on the bayou with some compelled wolves for her protection. It was all according her wishes, his brother reassured him, but Elijah knew the real reason that Klaus was being so accommodating. He was worried about Elijah's reaction in coming face to face with Hayley again after her words, and he was right to fret. There was no telling what grief could do, even to an even tempered man like Elijah. Throw in his long standing love for Katherine and his feelings of betrayal, and you got a volatile mix of ingredients, ready to blow at the slightest misstep.

"Niklaus, if you do not sit, I will find some particularly sharp piece of wood to stick into your ribcage." Elijah threatened from his seat at the breakfast table. He was attempting to read the morning newspaper with a freshly brewed cup of tea, but Niklaus's frantic hopping to and fro was stressing him out.

Klaus scowled at him, and yet sat down anyways, buttering a piece of toast with vengeance. "Careful Elijah, you know how I take to threats." He growled as the bread split in half, crumbs flying everywhere.

"Yes, and I also know how you react to even the mention of Miss Forbes." He said with a raised eyebrow, not looking up from his newspaper. It was weird for the two brothers to talk of matters such as these so openly, and as if they both realized it, they quickly shut up.

"Well, I'm going to go up. I have a business call from London, but do let me know when our guests arrive, brother." Elijah said. He expected no response, and receiving none, he quickly left.

Klaus was anxious as he too got up from the breakfast table, peeking at the front windows every so often. Caroline was the one thing that he wanted most, and the fact that he was unsure whether he could ever really have her left him in an unusual predicament. Combined with the fact that the blonde had never actually agreed to making the trip down to NOLA, and he was worried. This might be his last chance for a while to win the vampire's heart, as fatherhood and pursuing a woman did not necessarily go hand in hand. He would have forever to go after the blonde, but he did not wish to wait. Klaus wanted their forever to start now.

Fortunately, Klaus was saved from more needless pacing and wondering by the arrival of Marcel and Diego. The two vampires had urgent matters to do with city business to discuss, and Klaus let himself by swept up by talks of the Quarter, vampires, and night clubs as they made their way upstairs up to his study.

* * *

The three current inhabitants of Caroline's little blue car had decided that their best bet was probably to find the Originals first. They did not want to check in to a hotel only to find themselves in the middle of a turf war between vampires, werewolves, and witches.

"Excuse me?" Caroline said, rolling down her window soon after they had rolled into the city limits and the Quarter itself.

"Yes?" The woman, a brunette with long hair and a face that spoke of Asian heritage, replied.

"Could you tell me where the biggest, most ostentatious houses in the Quarter are located?" She asked, flashing the woman her best smile.

The woman looked perplexed at the weird question, and yet replied anyways. "Governour Street is where all the old time plantations are. Why do you want to know?"

"Just trying to find a-an acquaintance. Thank you so much for your help!" Caroline said, as she drove off. Stefan quickly pulled up a map of the city on his phone, and they found themselves in a long street filled with plantations from the 18th century not two minutes later. Most of the houses had long driveways leading up to antebellum style plantations that immediately reminded Caroline of one of her favorite movies, _Gone with the Wind, _and she was quiet as she admired what looked like her dream homes on each side of the street. Stefan was quiet as well as he was reminded of his own childhood in a house not too different from the ones they were passing by. The car moved at a slow pace, as its occupants analyzed each house and compared to the one Klaus had built in Mystic Falls, trying to determine which one could be the Original family's.

"There." Caroline said, pointing out the last house on the corner. It was set on a small hill, slightly apart from the rest, with a winding driveway. A solid, white square house with columns and wraparound porch, it looked ancient and yet airy and welcoming, something that was only possible this far South. The style, the flair, was unmistakable.

Stefan nodded in agreement. "Only the Originals would own ten acres of land in the middle of one of the most populated cities in America." He said, pointing out the fields leading into the famous Louisiana bayou that were barely visible on the back side of the house.

"Well, I guess the only way is forwards." Bonnie said, sounding less excited than all of them.

They drove up the driveway, seeming unchallenged, which seemed weird for someone as paranoid as Klaus. The gravel crouched underneath Caroline's tires as she slowly put the car in park besides a silver Mercedes and a bright red convertible. They all got out slowly, stretching out the kinks from the long drive.

Looking around, it was obvious that none of them wanted to be the one to knock. They slowly made their way onto the porch as a group.

Caroline finally was the one to raise her arm and knock on the door, using the embellished wolf knocker, something that would have made her give a short chuckle at an another time in another place. The house seemed quiet, and she was almost ready to knock again, or even better, go home, when the door flew open, startling her.

Rebekah stood in front of them, her blond hair in an unruly ponytail on top of her head, still mussed up from sleep. Her tank top and shorts also suggested that they had caught the youngest Original before her morning coffee, which spelt doom for them.

"Oh, it's you." She said with a small scoff, turning around to go back to her coffee mug, but leaving the door open as an invitation for them to follow inside.

"Nik will be thrilled." Rebekah said dryly, going back to sipping her coffee with an eye roll.

"Is he expecting us?" Caroline said, peeking around the opulent drawing room. She was trying to conceal her excitement over seeing the hybrid now that she was actually here, standing in his house, but was failing miserably.

"Maybe, he doesn't tell me much these days. He left a couple hours ago for a meeting, so he should be back any time really." The blonde said with a shrug of disdain. It seemed as if their old animosity from Mystic Falls was still present, despite their distance from that little town and its silly traditions like decade dances and cheerleading squads.

"Great. So what are we supposed to do, wait for Klaus to deign us with his presence?" Caroline asked with a huff.

"Wait or don't, I do not care." Rebekah replied.

Caroline stormed out of the room, slamming the front door, unable to take the Original's snippy replies any longer. She left Stefan and Bonnie standing there awkwardly, staring at Rebekah drinking her coffee and checking her phone.

"Umm, so Rebekah, how have you been?" Stefan asked after a couple of very awkward minutes. Bonnie had wandered off to look at some of the antiques and books in the bookcases in the next room, still visible due to the open layout of the house but not within earshot.

She looked up from her phone with a lifted eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

"You're not a bad person like Klaus, as much as you try to put on this tough, don't care what the world says persona or try to hide behind silly human traditions. One time, I even considered you a friend, and most recently, an ally. So, excuse me, for trying to be polite." Stefan said curtly.

"Stefan, you and I have never been friends. We've been either enemies, or" and now Rebekah's lips curved into a salacious smile that brought back so many memories, "much more than friends."

Stefan was visibly uncomfortable with the reference to his Ripper days, but he did not let that stop him from replying, "And now we're barely strangers with a shared past."

Rebekah acknowledged it with a small nod. "Can we start again, then?" She asked with a small smile as she took another sip of her coffee. The blonde had snapped at Stefan almost without thinking, in part due to her current nervousness about her family and in part due to general morning crankiness. Unwilling to admit her own fault aloud, she conceded the point with a smile, a secret signal that Stefan still seemed to remember after all this time.

"How have you been, Rebekah?" Stefan asked with a grin of his own, taking a seat in front of her at the breakfast table.

"I've been…good, surprisingly. I spent the summer around the world with Matt, basking in the pure freedom of being completely, blissfully normal, and except for these last few weeks, even my brothers have been alright." She replied. "And you? Still hanging around the doppelganger?"

"No, honestly. Damon and Caroline are the only people keeping me in Mystic Falls anymore." Stefan said, with almost a shocked look of realization. He had known for a while that the Elena chapter of his life was over, but it wasn't until now, chatting with Rebekah like old friends, that he realized that he was okay with it.

"What changed?" Rebekah asked, surprised at his reply. The last thing she remembered was Stefan fighting to have Elena human once again, snatching the cure that should have been hers in order to give it to the doppelganger.

"I spent my summer locked in a safe at the bottom of the Falls, and then had my brain fried and my memories stolen by an ancient witch, and the got drained of blood by another group of witches… Tends to put things and people in perspective, doesn't it?" Stefan said dryly.

Rebekah had covered her mouth with her hands in horror. "How? What happened?"

Stefan too seemed surprised at her question. "Right, I forgot that you left before the whole Silas/Amara/Quetsiyah/Bonnie debacle. Long story short, Bonnie died in putting up the veil, so Silas was freed, and ended up dumping me instead of him into the quarry and taking over my life for the summer."

"Why were you dumping his body into the quarry alone?" Rebekah asked, a reproachful note in her voice. Everybody knew it was a dumb move, even for the Salvatore, to assign such a monumental task to one person alone, even someone as trustworthy as Stefan. It was almost as if they wanted for something to go wrong with their plans, yet again.

Stefan replied with a wistful smile as he took a sip from his own cup of coffee. "I wasn't alone. My friend Lexi was with me right up until the veil fell. And then I was supposed to keep going. Drive out of town until I found a place I liked to start over." He gave her a wry grin, and then added, almost to himself, "I was supposed to go to Portland, check out the hipster scene, go to a few concerts, maybe even college again…"

"That's why nobody was surprised by my lack of contact, and when Silas came back to town, he played the part so perfectly that only Caroline suspected something." He continued, shaking himself out of his reverie.

"That I do not doubt. I well remember Silas's tricks." Rebekah nodded.

"That's the funny thing, it wasn't a trick at all." Stefan said with a wry grin. "Turns out Silas is- I mean, I'm Silas's doppelganger."

"What? You're a doppelganger? But you're not a Petrova!" Rebekah said, surprised. "Or a girl..." She added, under her breath.

"No," Stefan said with a chuckle at her whispered comment, "it turns out that the doppelgangers are the universe's way of atoning for the separation of the first immortals, Silas and his true love Amara."

"Figures." Rebekah replied with a snort. She was interrupted, however, by the sound of a car crunching up the gravel drive. Their conversation forgotten for the moment, she stood up.

"Nik and Elijah are home." She said with a wicked smile, flashing upstairs. Stefan moved to one of the draped windows, from where he could see both the black car making its way up the driveway and Caroline, hitting something on her phone screen furiously in the front seat of her car.

Stefan only had to wonder for a few seconds what the blonde was doing before his phone buzzed. _GET OUT OF THERE, WE R LEAVING! NOW!_ Her text said.

Stefan just shook his head, knowing that the blonde could see him from the car. Bonnie had wandered back into the room as Rebekah flashed back down, dressed in heels and a green sundress, her hair down and falling in beautiful natural waves around her face. There was no use in leaving now that they had come so far, and that Klaus himself was just pulling up. Might as well as stick it through after having driven all this way, and frankly, this was their last chance to save their loved ones, Stefan reasoned.

_No, Care. U r going to have to face him at some point. Better think fast! _ He texted back.

Rebekah had joined him at the window, and Bonnie was peering over their shoulders as well. "Should we wait for her to sort things out? I'm sure she would appreciate not having an audience." Bonnie said.

"There's no way in hell I'm missing this." Rebekah replied, grabbing a better spot to view the upcoming fireworks.

Bonnie looked uneasy, but even she was too interested in seeing Klaus's and Caroline's reaction to leave, despite her own loyalty to her friend. Kol, who had stayed by her side as she explored the downstairs of the house, explaining little tidbits from its family history, leaned in and whispered: "My brother, brought down by his love for a little vampire! It's a show no one here wants to miss."

The silence within the house was only interrupted by the small chime from Stefan's phone. The sleek black car came to a stop two spots over from Caroline's blue one and it smoothly parked. A door opened and out came the one person in the world Caroline would have rather never seen again.

_I hate you passionately, Stefan Giuseppe Salvatore _Caroline's text read as the blonde got out of the car with a stubborn look on her pretty face.

* * *

Caroline wasn't sure of what exactly had been the catalyst to her hissy fit in the breakfast room, but it certainly was a mix of Rebekah's usual condescending behavior, Klaus's absence, and at the same time, Caroline's very presence in New Orleans. She knew, in the rational, put together part of her head, that she was acting like a spoiled child who did not get a favorite toy, yet she did not care, not right now.

The blonde had come all this way; put her life on hold in order to satisfy the Original's request. That in itself was galling to her, since she believed that she was better than the simpering girl who always had to be rescued, no she was the hero of her own story, and even Klaus should not hold that much power over her. If one factored in his promise of never interfering in her life again, Caroline had double the reasons to be mad, pissed off at the Original. But what really stung the most was that even with all that, she had come; prepared to put the past aside in order to save her friends, to at least attempt to work together, and Klaus wasn't even there. He was off, running the city, with no second thoughts for little Caroline Forbes of Mystic Falls, VA.

In her weaker moments, she had always entertained the thought of a lovesick Klaus, just waiting for the moment she decided to give him a chance. In those secret fantasies, the hybrid would be reduced to a wreck, not sleeping, not eating, tortured by her loss until she finally put him out of his misery. Rome, Paris, London, Tokyo, the world he offered her was tempting, and when she finally accepted, he would be there, ready to drop everything to take her to see the world. But the cold hard truth was that Klaus had moved on, had lived his life without her, forgetting the forever love he had so ardently promised. The hybrid wasn't there when she said yes, finally made her way to New Orleans, and it felt all too much like a betrayal, even though it was she that had always turned him down. He wasn't a daydream bound to her silly fantasies; no, he was a man, a hybrid, flesh and blood, fire and flames, her opposite in every way. Yet, there was a part of her that in the face of all this mourned the future she had lost, the future they could have shared. What if she had said yes earlier? The question now taunted her, because Caroline knew that there was no way to go back. They must always push forward, because for them, it wasn't a matter of years or decades, no they had millenniums to regret the mistakes of the past.

The blonde vampire was able to pull herself together, barely, at the sound of the approaching car. As a last ditch effort to leave before all of her delusions came crashing down, she texted Stefan, but his visible head shake confirmed what she already knew. They had come too far, risked too much, to simply abandon their plan. Matt's solution would prolong Elena and Damon's lives for a good while, but it wasn't a matter of if, but when, it would start not being enough. The Originals were their only hopes for a cure.

Caroline dried a few stray tears out of the corner of her eye with the back of her hand. Checking in the review mirror for any telltale signs of crying, she reapplied her lipstick. If she was going to face down Klaus, by herself, she would at least have her oldest weapon in her arsenal.

The black car came to a slow stop, parking about fifty yards to her left. She opened the door of the car, and with her head held high, she walked towards the front door of the house, not looking at either side. Caroline tried to exude hostility when all she felt was anxiety at meeting him again, because out of all the people or vampires she had ever met, only Klaus had ever managed to make her feel so off-kilter, off-balance.

She heard a deep chuckle behind her as he got out of the car, seeing right through her attempt to ignore him. With a blur and whoosh, he was standing right in front of her, too close for polite company, his piercing blue eyes searching her face as he smiled at her with dimples that should be illegal. "Were you not even going to say hello, love?"

Caroline, refusing to back down, met his eyes with a challenging look, one eyebrow raised and her arms crossed across her chest. "Hello, Klaus. Goodbye, Klaus." She said, pushing him aside to make her way onto the pretty wraparound porch.

A giggle that could only be Rebekah's came from within the house, joined by Klaus's own deep chuckle. With another flash, he was standing right between her and the door, his rock hard chest a mere handbreadth's away, bringing back sinfully delicious memories of the other times that Caroline had seen that same chest without any other clothing.

"As spirited as ever, Caroline. But I thought we'd agreed to play nice at our last encounter?" Klaus asked, his own eyebrows raised with a smirk as he reminded her of their romp in the woods.

"Oh yes," Caroline said with a seductive smile as she took a step closer. "We agreed to that right after you promised I'd never have to see you again!"

As Caroline finished her words, her leg, faster than the distracted Klaus could see, shot out and tripped the Original, allowing the blonde enough time to leap over his prone form and enter the house. Klaus fell right onto his butt with a surprised yelp, his pride bruised as he lay sprawled in front of his door.

Elijah, who had been a silent observer, stepped over his stunned brother with a smile and a small chuckle. "I like this one, Niklaus. I think she will do just fine." He said, nodding his head as he went to join the others in the drawing room.

"CAROLINE!" Klaus bellowed as he found his footing and entered his house to find the blonde sitting on an armchair facing the younger Salvatore brother, the Anchor sitting on the floor between the two of them and Rebekah on the couch that angled in to face the two armchairs. Elijah was in the next room, hanging up his coat and setting down his papers with his usual neatness.

"Yes?" The blonde replied with an innocent look on her face.

"You-you" Klaus stammered, his face red from anger as the room's occupants stared at him with bemused looks on their faces.

"Just saw you trip for absolutely no reason at all out there on the porch? Yes, I did, and what an unfortunate fall." Caroline said with a little smirk of her own, to the stifled laughter of the other occupants of the room, who had witnessed the girl tripping the hybrid on the porch. Klaus shot them a glare, and they quickly piped down.

Klaus was about to reply with his own snippy retort, his rage abated as her usual spunk drove in that she really was here, sitting in his house, a mere dozen feet away, when Elijah stepped in. "Niklaus, stop yelling at our guests." Elijah said with a stern tone.

Klaus rolled his eyes at his brother's old timey manners, but took a seat on the couch next to Rebekah anyways in order to keep the peace, at least in front of his former enemies. He looked warily at the Bennett witch, unsure of her motives in agreeing to his request so promptly, especially given her hatred for him and his family.

Elijah did not care for his sibling's misgivings. Turning a small smile towards his guests, he greeted each of them in turn. "Ms. Bennett, it is lovely to see you again, especially after I heard the news of your untimely demise." He said, receiving a small nod from Bonnie and a wide smile.

The Original turned slightly to address Stefan, and a small smile broke out on his face as he greeted the younger Salvatore. There had always been a certain affinity between the two, due in part to their similar circumstances in loving the doppelgangers and in part due to their own alike temperaments. The two didn't need many words, just a simple nod and an unspoken promise to talk more at length after their council of war.

Last, Elijah turned towards Caroline. She was the only member of the Mystic Falls group that he had never spent any time around, never gotten a chance to assess and understand her. At first, he had simply written her off as Elena's naïve and slightly frivolous best friend who had had the misfortune of being turned into a vampire by his Katherine and then chosen for his brother's ritual. When he had seen her on his last trip to Mystic Falls with the cure, however, the few glimpses he had gotten of her had challenged that opinion, and his brother's words the other day had shattered it. Now she stood in front of him, a mystery, an unknown variable, and Elijah detested those. Knowing one's enemies or friends, what drove them and what repulsed, made their actions easy to predict and counterbalance if need be. It was not knowing that led to mistakes, and costly ones.

Caroline felt uncomfortable as the eldest Original scrutinized her. She knew it could not have been more than a few seconds, mere instants more than it was polite, and yet Elijah's warm brown eyes were clearly calculating. Everything about her was being noted, taken down to construct an accurate picture of her weaknesses later, and she wanted to sit up straighter to show that she would not be intimidated, but something held her back. Moving, showing that he unsettled her, would be the worst move that she could make now, so instead she kept the pleasant smile plastered on her face as her mind churned.

"Ms. Forbes, I look forward to getting to know you better during your stay." Elijah simply said as he moved away to stand behind the couch his siblings were occupying. A few moments passed in which no one seemed to find the words to begin, and so the silence stretched on awkwardly.

"So? Is that all?" Caroline asked, finally fed up. She knew that this was the Original's modus operandi, to have their opponents and allies off balance mentally and physically, but she was tired and sore, severely sleep deprived and hungry as well. Either one of them, and at this point she didn't care who, told them the reason why she had driven twelve hours to get here, or she was leaving.

Her stare turned icy as she stared down Klaus. "You call me, ask me to come down here in all hurry because of an urgent situation, and now you can't even tell us what it is?"

"Ah, Caroline. I seem to remember you being rather desperate for our help as well." Klaus shot back.

"Help that you do not seem all that willing to give." Caroline replied, getting up to find the kitchen. She was getting tense, and coupled with an empty stomach after the long drive, her neurotic tendencies were starting to show. Nothing a good blood bag wouldn't fix.

"Where are you going, love?" Klaus asked with an almost concerned tone, getting up as well.

"To find the kitchen. If I have to wait for all of you to gather your thoughts, I'm not going to do it on an empty stomach." She replied. Klaus quickly followed her out, closing the drawing room's door behind her as he ran at human speed to catch up with her. He trusted Elijah and Rebekah to watch over Bonnie and Stefan until his return.

Grabbing her arm, he turned her around to face him. "Caroline, would you please tell me what I've done to wrong you? Because I remember parting on a happy note, and now you act as if you abhor the mere mention of my return to Mystic Falls." Klaus said in a soft tone, searching her face for the answer to the question that had bugged him ever since her standoffish arrival. Maybe she regretted giving in to him that day, had regretted since the moment they parted, and had just been a good actress. Or maybe she had found out about Hayley and the baby, and she was mad because he hadn't told her.

Caroline had been holding in her outburst for close to two days now, and she just couldn't hold it in any longer, especially with the subject of her frustrations right here, in front of her. "You called! After you promised, you swore to me, you would leave me alone to live my life! I trusted you, and you broke your promise." She said, recrimination in her tone as she wiped away a few stray tears. Caroline hated crying, deplored it as a cheap trick to get attention, and yet she was so mad and confused and emotional right now that a few tears had escaped her. "How am I supposed to move on, to let you go, when you keep yourself a peripheral shadow, always in my life but never there?"

Klaus wouldn't admit how much her tears moved him. He had known, when he had dialed her number, that she wouldn't be happy with him breaking his promise, and yet he'd had no other choice to save his family. The hybrid hadn't even imagined how betrayed his lovely Caroline would feel, the utter mistrust and anger in her voice. They say you never know what you have until you lose it, and never had that rung more true for Klaus. Never would he have imagined that despite all he'd done, he had gained Caroline's trust, not until he broke it with an idiotic phone call. Rebekah or even Elijah could have spoken with her, but instead the foolish temptation of her voice had beckoned him like a siren's call until he had given in.

He swallowed past the lump in his throat, and made a move to gather her in his arms. Never had he wanted anything as he wanted to reach out and take her into his embrace, explain his actions and beg her forgiveness, and yet she shied away from his hand. "Caroline, have you ever thought maybe I do not want to let you go?"

She turned away from him, trying to hide the last few tears, evidence of her weakness for him before turning to face him with a blank mask. "You're going to have to let me go, Klaus, for I need you to. I am no one's to keep, and it is time that I truly live that way."

Klaus watched her walk away from him, into the kitchen; her lovely hair swinging side to side as she slowly made her way inside and shut the door. _She certainly looks good walking away from you_ he heard Kol's voice repeating his words from the Mystic Grill, so long ago now, vividly in his head.

Maybe a little too vividly. "KOL?" He asked, to the empty hallway. No reply came, and as none was expected, he turned to head back to the drawing room.

"If I find out you're haunting me, brother, I'll make sure to keep you really dead for a few decades rather than a few months!" He threatened one more time to the empty air.

* * *

Kol watched his brother leave from his place alongside the wall, next to the framed picture of New Orleans in 1900. "Well, at least he's got himself a couple of new threats in our time apart. The whole dagger and liver thing was starting to get annoying." He muttered for his own amusement, before following his brother back to the drawing room. The dead Original wouldn't miss a good scheming session, even when he couldn't participate.

* * *

On the other side of the kitchen door, Caroline was leaning on the cool granite countertop with her elbows, trying to pull herself together. A bag of type A blood, slightly stale and a bit warm, sat in one hand, while the other was nervously clutching her bracelet as she tried to calm her raging thoughts.

A part of her, a substantial one, wanted to continue being mad at Klaus for his part in bringing her down to New Orleans, but on the other hand, she knew that the hybrid had little choice in the matter, what with the supernatural freak show they always found themselves in. Although she refused to admit it out loud, there was another, persistent part of her that was glad that he had called, to hear that she had been missed, but all of that had been thrown out of the window as she sat outside in the car.

Now, she was here, hiding out in his kitchen like a broken hearted teenage girl, because he had once again thrown her for a loop. Klaus had seemed so sincere, his words so heartfelt as he told her that he hadn't wanted to let her go, that she didn't know who to listen to. Her head, which said that Klaus was always going to be the same, untrustworthy and manipulative, or her heart, that told her to take a chance, that she had already seen he could change. It was an ongoing fight ever since the ball, and his drawing, when part of her had accepted that there might be another side to the evil hybrid.

By this point, Caroline was past the point of tears, and had sat down with her back against the counter, sipping the last dregs of her blood bag. Her neurotic, type-A side wanted to make a pro/con list for staying in New Orleans, but since she lacked paper and pen, she started listing out the pros and cons aloud to herself, trying to reach a decision.

"Pro: I help Elena and Damon. Con: Klaus and his family live in New Orleans. Pro: If I stay, it looks like Klaus does nothing to affect me. Con: He does affect me." Caroline said, her head clearing as the thoughts finally settled.

Maybe now wasn't the right time to debate about Klaus, with Elena and Damon's lives hanging in balance. However, after this was settled, and she returned to her normal life, she would have to consider the hybrid. Had she ever given him a fair chance while in Mystic Falls? No, because she had still been the small town, 17 year old girl who saw the world in black and white. Now, as she moved away from that and started to grow up at college, she realized that what had seemed like a folly now looked not so impossible.

"After Elena and Damon are safe," Caroline promised herself, "I will talk to Klaus about us, just us, not my friends or his family. But now, I need to focus- focus Caroline, your friends need you."

A loud bang startled her as the door to the kitchen slammed open and a dark haired, lanky man walked in with a goofy grin. He headed for the freezer drawer in which the Mikealson stored their blood supply, so Caroline automatically assumed he was a vampire. She slowly stood up, picking up her empty blood bag, and realized just how much time must have passed. They had all probably already started talking about their plans for Bonnie, and she had missed it while wallowing in self-pity!

"Oh sorry! I didn't realize anyone was in here!" The man said, as he saw her, with her red tinged face from her earlier tears.

Caroline gave him a tremulous smile. "I look that bad, eh?"

The man looked embarrassed, and quickly jumped in. "No, you're fine. Just, here-" He said, handing her a tissue from the box atop the pantry and pointing underneath his eye, signifying a mascara streak on her cheekbone. The blonde gave him a grateful look and quickly took care of it, and then threw away the tissue.

"I'm Caroline." She said, extending her head.

"And I'm Josh. Nice to meet you, Caroline." Josh replied with a smile, taking her hand easily.

"Hey Josh, are you ready to go in and talk to the Anchor?" A brown haired girl with a childlike face and innocence said as she walked into the kitchen. She stopped abruptly as she saw that her friend wasn't alone, and stammered a couple words of apology.

"Caroline, this Davina, my best friend and witch extraordinaire. Davina, this Caroline, er- well we didn't actually quite get to that part, so who exactly are you? And I mean that in the nicest way possible." Josh asked.

Caroline gave a short bark of laughter. "Nice to meet you as well, Davina. I'm here with my friend Bonnie, the Anchor?" She asked, waiting for recognition to flash across their faces. "Other than that, I am nothing special, just a girl who happened to be in the wrong place, wrong time, and became vampire."

Davina nodded, her serious expression melting a bit as she smiled at Caroline. Josh, on the other hand, smiled widely, and said, "I think we'll be great friends, Caroline. See, I'm an expert at wrong time, wrong place."

Both girls laughed alongside Josh, although Davina threw in a little eye roll at her best friend. "Yeah, and if I wasn't there to save his ass, he'd been dead-er three times already."

"All true, I'm afraid." Josh admitted with a smile. Then, getting a little bit more serious, he said, "I think we better join the others, before Klaus rips my head off for being late." Turning to Caroline, he said to almost caution her, "He's got a devilish temper."

"Trust me, I know." She muttered as she followed them out of the kitchen.

* * *

**AN: Pheww okay so here it is! As always, I love hearing your comments! I'm really excited about the next few chapters because we really get into the meat of the story, so stick around... Oh and thank you so much for reading and sticking with the story this far! REVIEW/COMMENT!**

**P.S: TVD Season Finale or TO thoughts? Would love to hear what you guys have to say about it!**


	8. New Beginnings

**Chapter Eight- New Beginnings**

**AN: Happy Memorial Day to all those who live in the US! I was out of town for weekend and wasn't able to update (No internet!) so here's is chapter 8, slightly late...**

* * *

"The truth of the matter, Ms. Bennett, is that we need to speak to Katerina, no matter where she is. These Travelers, they're a worrisome presence, and she seems to be the only one who knows of their true intentions." Elijah said, after the best part of an hour spent discussing Katherine's fate and her current whereabouts.

"I can make no promises then about my usefulness then, Elijah." The former witch rebutted.

Elijah acknowledged the statement with a slight incline of his head. "Nonetheless, we need to try. Our witch is fairly confident that she can reach her if she can channel the power of the Anchor."

"Speaking of Davina," Rebekah interjected, "where is she? Nik sent Josh to find her ages ago."

Elijah's face turned thoughtful as he too wondered what had happened to the young witch. It was unlike Davina to be tardy, especially at such an important meeting as this. The eldest Original turned to face his younger brother, surprised that Niklaus wasn't raging at the incompetence of Josh, but Klaus wasn't paying attention to the conversation, and likely hadn't for a while. The hybrid was turning around a glass of honey coloured bourbon, staring into its brown depths as if it held the answer to a particular conundrum that the Original was turning over in his head. Elijah knew that little could snap Klaus out of one of these moods until an answer was found that satisfied the hybrid, and let him be for the moment.

"For that matter, where is Caroline? She should have been back from the kitchen by now." Stefan said, a worried look flashing across his face.

At Caroline's name, Klaus's head snapped up with poorly concealed interest, but was interrupted by the same blonde, who came into the room laughing about something that Josh had said. Davina too had a little smile on her face as she led the little group into the tense circle that had formed in the drawing room. The group's smiles quickly vanished as they realized they were in the center of attention as the conversation had stopped with their entrance.

"So two vampires and a witch enter a bar…" Josh said, quickly trying to get the spotlight off himself. Unfortunately, it seemed that nobody seemed in the mood for blitheness at the moment, and the young vampire slowly trailed off. "No? Okay, so probably a bad time for a joke…"

All three Originals were quickly glaring at their recruit, while Stefan and Bonnie were failing at hiding a smile, and Caroline wasn't even trying.

Deciding that it was better to come to Josh's aid before one of the Originals decided to take his head off, she said: "Oh come on, you all look as if someone stepped on your cat! It is kind of funny, especially given the looks on your faces!" She said, pointing at Klaus and Elijah.

"Caroline, when you've reached my age, tasteless jokes have lost their appeal." Klaus said, refusing to withdraw his gloomy expression.

"Whatever, _grandpa_." The blonde said meanly, taking a seat on her old armchair. Davina sat perched on the armrest, while Josh awkwardly hovered behind the seat, since there was no more room left.

"Must he stay here?" Rebekah whined. "Since when is the help invited to actual councils of war?"

"Josh goes wherever I go. Either he stays or I go." Davina said with a firm tone that brooked no discussions.

"Of course, Davina. Now, if all of you are settled, could we get back to the matter of contacting Katerina?" Elijah said, trying to placate all of the room's volatile personalities. Everyone nodded, most looking chastised by the Original's rebuke. With a small nod, Elijah indicated that Bonnie should continue with her explanation.

"As I was telling the others earlier," Bonnie said, talking to the newcomers, "I do not know how much use I can be in locating Katherine, because I'm not sure of her whereabouts. She was dragged away by a strange force before she could pass through, and I haven't been able to see her since. Elijah seems confident that you can reach her again, however."

Davina was quick to nod. "I visited whatever prison Katherine finds herself in a sort of dream, so the spell I need to perform to return is fairly easy. I need to channel your power to bind myself to this world, so that I can guide the vision this time." The young witch explained.

Faces around the room were in different degrees in confusion. Younger vampires, like Josh and Caroline, looked completely lost, and even the Originals seemed to not quite grasp the two witches' conversation. Bonnie, instead, nodded her head in complete understanding. Pondering it for a couple seconds, she said, "Yes, that just might work…"

"Would you need to also harness something close to her though, to be able to reach her?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes, that would be my best bet in finding her, since I never knew her in life. What to use though?" Davina replied.

"She's been on the run for most of her life, so she probably never had lots of objects that she carried with an emotional attachment, and well, Katherine wasn't an easy person to like-" Bonnie said, brainstorming ideas out loud. Both witches had pensive looks on their faces, while everyone else in the room was quickly catching up.

"You can use me." Elijah interjected.

"Hmm that just might work." Davina said, shooting a look towards Bonnie for confirmation.

The former witch nodded with a smile, and then turned towards Elijah. "You do know that this means you're going to have to be dragged through the Other Side with Davina, right?"

Elijah looked hopeful. "You mean I would get to talk to Katerina as well? See her, feel her?"

Bonnie nodded, but cautioned, "Yes, but it won't be easy. You'd have to die and pass through me to be able to guide Davina, as well as donated some blood to link you to the actual spell."

"Die? But Elijah's an Original, and we can't be killed!" Rebekah said, voicing concern for her brother.

"It would only be temporary, since you're an Original vampire and wood stakes only incapacitate you for a little. That means we will only have a couple of hours to find her and talk to her." Davina explained.

"I would do it, and gladly." Elijah said, cutting off any further protests from his siblings. He would sacrifice a thousand times that for a chance to see his Katerina again, and for him, this was an easy enough task.

"How do we know this is not just one of Katherine's schemes, a ploy to return to the land of the living?" Stefan asked.

Elijah was on the verge of rebutting the younger Salvatore's question with the utter conviction of only love and grief, but Klaus cut him off. "No, Elijah, the Rippah has a point. Katerina is notorious for her trickery, and we have only her word on these Travelers. What proof do we have that she has not fabricated the whole thing just to have you ride to her rescue?"

Elijah started to answer, but pulled back to consider the point, his famous calm and rationality cautioning him. "We do not have any concrete proof before us, but can we not in good faith speak to her? It would do no harm in case she was tricking us, and if she were not, then it would provide help in searching for these Travelers."

"Brother, I fear your attachment to Katerina is clouding your judgment once more. This is straight out of her playbook, playing the damsel so you will rush in to her rescue." Klaus said, shaking his head, a malicious smirk on his lips so similar to that of five hundred years ago that Elijah had trouble believing he wasn't back in Tudor England.

"I want Katherine back as much as the next girl," Caroline interjected, "but she does have some facts on her side. For one, we know that she's not on the Other Side and she's not alive, so that supports the fact that she's in some prison realm created by the Travelers."

"Yes, but the bitch may just be rotting in hell for all we know." Rebekah replied with an eye roll.

"Really? What has Katherine done that was so awful to guarantee her an eternity of punishment? Especially since your brother Kol is screaming and kicking on the Other Side with all the other 'good' supernatural." Caroline said, putting air quotes and her best sarcasm around the word good. She didn't know why she was defending the doppelganger, and yet something about Rebekah's tone had irked, so she had jumped to the defense, ready for a cat fight. Instead, she got an unexpected response from the blonde Original.

"Kol is on the Other Side?" Rebekah said, tears shining in her eyes. "How do you know?"

"Who do you think sent us down there? The Glinda the Good Witch?" Caroline replied.

"Kol. Figures. He always did love his witches." Klaus said, while Rebekah glared at Caroline for her snappy reply. All three Originals seemed affected by the mention of their brother's name, but none more than the blonde. Her blue eyes were clouded by tears, and she glanced away, surreptitiously wiping them away as she tucked a strand of hair away.

Rebekah did not know why the mention of Kol had her so affected, yet she couldn't stop the wave of emotions that crashed into her as he was so casually mentioned. Maybe it was the fact that the siblings had been on the odds when he had died, or the reminder of the small time they had actually had to reunite as a family before two of her brothers were ripped away, but her grief, always pushed to the side, chose to make itself known. If she had been alone, Rebekah would have probably broken down, given in to the grief that she hadn't allowed herself to feel, but she couldn't. She was an Original, and couldn't have any weaknesses, especially in front of her brothers. Pulling herself together once more, she sat up straighter and tossed her hair back, showing the world that despite her soft heart, she was still one of the deadliest creatures the Earth had ever seen.

"Never mind Kol for now." Rebekah said, surprising everyone with her firm dismissal after her earlier concern.

"Yes, but Niklaus, we must finish this conversation at a later time. I think our brother has languished too long on the Other Side, whatever his misdeeds." Elijah said, with a meaningful glance at his only remaining brother.

"Later, Elijah." Klaus said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand. In truth, the hybrid had meant to have Kol back by now, but with the witches' standoff and his child, his brother had been pushed to the side. Making a note to contact his extensive network of witches, he returned to the task at hand.

Bonnie was only half listening to the conversation about the deceased Original. Her other half was completely focused on the said Original, whose face displayed a wealth of information about his feelings on the proceedings. He had looked touched and sorry as the grief became apparent in first Rebekah and then his brothers, but his face had closed itself off as his family quickly dismissed him. A few seconds later and the cocky smirk was back on, no traces that for a few seconds, even the mighty Kol had felt something human.

Catching her eye, he lifted an eyebrow suggestively. "Enjoying the view, Bon-Bon? I'm sure that if you ask nicely, I might even be persuaded to take off my shirt…"

The former witch turned away in disgust. How could she go from feeling sorry for him to wanting to slap him, all in the space of thirty seconds? He was infuriating and annoying at times, and yet there was also a magnetism to him that drew her back every time. Kol Mikaelson was a mystery wrapped up in arrogance and swagger, crowned by a smirk, and yet he kept giving her glimpses as to the man beneath. The man who enjoyed spending time with witches, not for their convenience, but for their immense knowledge. The man who loved to travel, who read voraciously, who listened to her talk about herself and her problems for hours, now that was a man that Bonnie would like to know. Unfortunately, it seemed that Kol and that man came wrapped in the same package, impossible to sever.

Refusing to deign his comment with an answer, Bonnie turned to the others assembled in the drawing room. "We're agreed then to contact Katherine?"

Hesitantly, the others nodded. "Good." Elijah said.

"Elijah, I must warn you, there may be no way to bring her back from where she is, and I will not lift one finger to help her until she has provided the necessary information that she promised. Those are my only conditions." Bonnie stated.

"Very well." Elijah replied, his face as impassive as ever. He was schooling his features, trying to believe in Katherine, but it was hard. Even he admitted that a scam such as this was a totally Katherine thing to do, especially when backed into a corner. He hoped that it wasn't the case, and yet he was hardening his heart just in case she betrayed him once more. The eldest Original did not know if he could take one more betrayal, not after everything he'd gone through in the past year.

"No, Elijah, I want your word that there will be no retribution if I refuse to help bring Katherine back if she goes back on her end of the deal." Bonnie said.

"You have my word. You and your friends will be free to leave, unharmed, whatever the outcome of the spell and Katerina's words." Elijah replied.

Bonnie nodded, satisfied. "Davina and I will gather the necessary ingredients then. We should be ready to perform the spell on tomorrow's full moon."

Davina stood and followed Bonnie out of the room, with Josh trailing behind. The two witches were eager to talk to one another, both fairly young and lonely, excited by the prospect of sharing their plight with another. They chattered happily as they exited the mansion and entered the dowager house which had been assigned to Davina, both relieved to be out of the tense drawing room.

"I have urgent business to attend to before tomorrow then. Brother, sister, can I trust you to show our guests their rooms?" Elijah asked, standing up and brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his pressed grey linen suit.

"There's no need," Caroline said, sharing a glance with Stefan. "I'm sure there are plenty of hotels we can stay in till tomorrow." The blonde said, uneasy. After her earlier outburst, she had avoided eye contact with Klaus all through the conversation, and was hoping to make a quick escape now that the party was disbanding. Sleeping under the same roof as the Original certainly wasn't planned.

"I insist, Ms. Forbes." Elijah said, with his impeccable accent. "You are our guests here in New Orleans and we have plenty of room. You simply must stay with us."

The eldest Original's words implied an invitation, but his tone clarified that it was more of a command. There was little that Caroline or even Stefan could do to deny Elijah, and in fact, it wasn't wise to argue further. Caroline certainly would have tried, to the amusement of Klaus and Rebekah, but Stefan stepped in and said, "We'd love to stay here. After all, what better guides to the city than those who built it?"

"Lovely. I will have some our staff fetch your things from the car." Elijah said as he walked out, a pleasant smile on his face. He didn't think that the group from Mystic Falls would betray them, especially since they too stood to gain from the spell, but long centuries on Earth had taught him to be cautious just the same. Under his roof, he could keep a close watch on all three, and be on alert for any suspicious behavior. Caution was the only way to survive, remaining always a step or three ahead of those who wished him and his family harm.

* * *

"Bekah?" Klaus said, knocking on his sister's door. Loud music, a cacophony of sound that hurt his ears, was the only thing audible through the walls. He was only thankful that his room was in the opposite wing, far enough away for his vampire hearing to tune out this so-called music that the current generation seemed to enjoy. The hybrid knocked again, louder this time, until an annoyed Rebekah opened the door.

"What?" She huffed.

Klaus walked past her into the room, causing Rebekah to roll her eyes and slam the door. Her pink Macbook lay opened on the bed, while the pink stereo system on the far wall was only paused mid song. In fact, the entire room screamed of pink. Hot pink walls, pink bedspread, pink bed curtains, even a pink swivel chair for her black cherry desk. The room had been Rebekah's project ever since moving to New Orleans, yet another of her attempts to live a human life. Instead of humanity, she had built herself the perfect teenage girl room, a room that girls around the world would give their right arm for, to compensate for what she could not obtain. It was loud and obnoxious, in Klaus's opinion, nothing compared to the quiet elegance of Rebekah's old room, three doors down and currently occupied by Bonnie.

"I need you to take Caroline and Stefan out." He said as his sister returned to her post on the bed, idly scrolling on her laptop.

"Why should I?" Rebekah asked, as she lazily clicked something, made a face, and returned to the previous page.

"Because I have to go check that Hayley hasn't gone into labour in the middle of the bayou and get those blasted sonograms done, and I can't have either of those two knowing about her." Klaus said.

"Scared that your little girlfriend is gonna run away screaming once she finds out you haven't exactly been faithful?" Rebekah said with a raised eyebrow and a devilish smirk. It wasn't often that the blonde held the upper hand with her brother, but today, the ball was in her court, and she was enjoying the game.

"Caroline is not my girlfriend, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest whether she thinks I've been faithful to her or not. I only want to protect the child, which means the less people know about her, the better, especially people from Mystic Falls. I need not to remind you, sister, of their meddlesome manners." Klaus said, refusing to let Rebekah insinuate anything about his relationship with Caroline. Rebekah's smirk faded as it was replaced by a serious expression, chastised by her brother's rebuke.

"You're right, Hayley should be kept out of this. I'll take Caroline and Stefan out shopping, not for you, brother, but for my unborn niece." Rebekah said, shutting her computer and getting up from the bed, a serious expression on her face as she remembered the importance of keeping Hayley's child a secret.

Walking away from Klaus, she opened her closet door and started pulling out clothes more suitable for a day on the town than her current sweatpants and white t-shirt. Facing her brother in the mirror as she pulled out a pink chevron crop top, light wash shorts, and a light fringed kimono cardigan in black, Rebekah smirked. "However, you know that shopping tends to be a bonding experience between us girls, and I wonder what Caroline will think of Genevieve and that rip-off Camille…" She said, unable to resist baiting her brother.

As expected, Klaus whirled on her, blocking her view of the mirror as he came to stand in front of her. "Are you perhaps threatening me, Rebekah?"

"Why would I ever threaten you, Nik, when you said yourself that Caroline Forbes's opinion matters nothing to you?" She said, innocently.

Klaus was stuck. On one hand, of course he cared what Caroline thought of him, and did not want to let his sister poison her mind with fake stories about Camille and Genevieve. The two were distractions and alliances, in that order, nothing more than a past time until the real deal decided to join him in New Orleans. Now that she had, Klaus had almost forgotten the existence of the other two women, until Rebekah had brought them up. However, on the other hand, he couldn't speak up and defend himself to Rebekah, because then his perceptive sister would realize the depth of his feelings for the cheerleader from Mystic Falls, his one weakness. With the shaky peace in the Mikaelson family and his current mistrust in Rebekah after her betrayal, Klaus did not want his sister knowing that one, fatal weakness.

"Do what you will, Rebekah. Just remember I remain in possession of one of the daggers and a goodly jar of white oak ash… and I have employed them for lesser annoyances." Klaus said.

"Oh relax, would you, Nik?" Rebekah said, throwing the clothes unto the bed. "Caroline may be a control freak cheerleader, but at least she knows her way around a shopping mall and can keep up a semi-decent snark-off, unlike that whiny she-wolf. Plus, you're nicer when she's around, so why would I do anything to mess it up for you?"

"Again, Rebekah, there is nothing between Caroline and I." Klaus said, relaxing his clenched fists as he moved towards the doorway.

"Right, and I suppose you two were playing bridge for half the day in the forest on our little trip to Mystic Falls?" Rebekah said sarcastically.

"Try to leave within the hour!" Klaus said, refusing to take the bait. He exited, and semi-content with himself, went to find Elijah to inform him of his whereabouts for that afternoon.

* * *

Caroline had been shown by a matronly old woman with a kind smile into a bedroom fit for a queen. She had always known that the Originals were considered vampire royalty, and certainly acted like it, but it wasn't until she saw the upper floors of this house that she believed that they lived like royalty too. Sure, Klaus's mansion in Mystic Falls had been huge and lavishly decorated, clearly expensive, but it had lacked the refinement and class that only age can give a place. This room could have hosted dukes and duchesses, princes and princesses in the eighteenth century, and now she was sleeping in it. Her, Caroline Forbes, whose farthest trip before this one was a school trip to Richmond, and now she was standing in the same spot as nobility had for centuries. Overwhelming was certainly an apt description for the room.

In itself, it was fairly simple. The walls were cornflower blue wallpaper with swirl designs in a slightly darker shade, while the ceiling was a luxurious gold, contrasted by the high white crown moldings. The main feature in the room was the four poster bed in dark wood, with fluttering white curtains, which looked like it belonged in a storybook. Just looking at it made Caroline excited, her inner little girl clamoring for a chance to sleep in it. The room was completed by a matching nightstand and armoire, a dressing mirror and table, and a white door that she assumed led to the matching ensuite. Her suitcase, already unpacked by the unassuming staff, sat next to the armoire, with her clothes neatly folded inside or hung in the closet.

The piece that had caught her eye, however, was the painting that hung on the wall opposite the bed. It was a landscape, showing a manor house on rolling hills, with a soaring city in the foreground. Not only did the piece itself look old, but its subject clearly spoke of another time with their gothic spires and solid stone buildings. Undoubtedly, it was Klaus's. Caroline did not know how she knew or why she was so sure, but she just did. Just like she knew that the fresh coat of paint and updated fixtures in the room were picked especially for her, according to her taste. In a way, it warmed her heart, because Klaus had clearly redone this room in hopes of her arrival in New Orleans, and yet she did not want to be swayed from her resolve.

Something that she had said in the forest had come back to haunt her as she vented her feelings in the kitchen. Caroline had spoken about how she wanted to find her own life as an independent vampire, and yet she had realized that she had never been alone, not ever since this supernatural mess started. First there was Damon, and the less said about that relationship the the better, than Matt, and then almost without a break Tyler, and now she was here, tempted to ride away with Klaus. Yet another man to define her. Maybe the reason that she was so lost, so insecure deep down was because she relied on others to define her place and status in the world, not just herself.

She and Klaus had forever, literally. So the blonde promised, once again, that after they found the spell in Kol's grimoires she would leave, go back to college, and over the summer, take her mom and see the world. Travel, experience new places and meet new people, and if in a year she still felt that undeniable pull towards Klaus, then, and only then, would she come down to New Orleans, ready to try at a relationship with the big bad hybrid, all the better for knowing herself. This epiphany/self-pact left a sense of tranquility and contentedness on Caroline's weighed down spirit, a buoyancy she hadn't felt ever since realizing that Katherine had taken over Elena's body. Quickly, she took a shower, scrubbing away the grime of the road, and then started curling her hair as she pulled out a white and red flower dress and a pretty jean jacket, humming all the while.

As Caroline was finishing up, she heard an impatient- and persistent- knocking at her door. "Caroline!" Rebekah's voice hollered.

"What happened? Did someone die? Are we under attack?" Caroline said, rushing to the door, mascara wand still half-raised to her eye and her dress falling down around her with the zipper undone.

Rebekah's serious face took in the image of a half-dressed Caroline, with half her face done and a look of complete and utter panic, and the Original burst out laughing. She could have laughed for longer, but noticing the glare that Caroline gave her after a few chuckles, she sobered up, a large grin still on her face.

"Sorry, but the look on your face…" Rebekah said, quasi-apologizing before laughing again.

"Haha" Caroline said dryly, "Yes, I'm sure it was hi-lar-ious."

"Oh come on!" Rebekah replied, finally finished with laughing.

"Well, maybe a little…" Caroline said with a smile, catching a glimpse of herself in the dressing room mirror.

"Come here," Rebekah said, pushing into the room, "I'll zip you up so you can put down your arm." She said, gesturing for Caroline to turn around. The blonde vampire had been trying to keep her dress on by holding it up with her elbows, but she was unable to put her arms down without having it fall.

"Thanks." Caroline said, finishing up her left eye. Quickly and efficiently, Rebekah zipped the dress, and then the Original wandered over to the table where Caroline's cosmetics lay scattered in a hot mess of pink lipsticks and black eyeliners.

"Smells good." Rebekah said, after picking up Caroline's favorite perfume, a special present from a family friend who mixed perfumes. It was a mix of vanilla honey, lavender, and a touch of rosewater, and Caroline's favorite scent. She had received her first bottle the day before she started high school, and had faithfully spritzed her pulse points with the sweet scent ever since that day.

"My favorite. An old friend of my mom mixes it for me." She told Rebekah.

"I have mine shipped from Paris. I've used the same one for the last six hundred years, mixed especially for me in this little shop three streets over from Rue de Jardines. I turned this peasant girl in the late 1400s after I saw her stand up to three English thugs, and ever since then, she has supplied me with perfume." Rebekah said, a melancholic look on her face as she remembered Paris and her friends that still inhabited it. Each Original had a favorite city or place, and while Elijah had progressive London, Nik artistic Italy, Kol the wild West or mysterious Orient, Rebekah had France, and Paris especially. Everything about the city of love appealed to the blonde, from its narrow avenues to small bakeries to grand palaces. There, she could stand apart from the shadows of her brothers, as the only member of her family to have held a presence there for any significant period of time.

"Have you spent a lot of time in Paris?" Caroline asked, fascinated. She had sat down on her bed as the Original had taken a seat at the dressing table and now the two girls looked at each other with ease. Maybe it was the change in setting, but something had shifted in their relationship. No longer enemies, they were slowly starting to edge toward friendship. It was inevitable that the two should be either the best of friends or the worst of enemies, so alike they were in temperament. Perhaps this trip would determine that.

"Some." Rebekah admitted with a smile.

"What's it like? I've never been." Caroline admitted.

"It is-It's beautiful, indescribable. So undeniably French, yet at the same time, it stands alone. When you walk along its streets, there is no evidence that you're not back 500, 600 years, if you ignore the cars honking, that is." Rebekah said, causing Caroline to laugh.

"That's a pretty big if." Caroline replied with a smile.

"Trust me, if there's anywhere that's possible, it is Paris." Rebekah said.

"I would love to go, see it all, experience everything at its fullest." Caroline said wistfully,

"You will," Rebekah said with certainty, "If you ever decide to give Nik a chance, he'll be out of here faster than either me or Elijah could discern."

Their bubble burst at the mention of the hybrid. Clearly uncomfortable at Klaus's mention, Caroline attempted to steer the conversation in a different direction. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Rebekah seemed lost for a second, but quickly recovered. She had forgotten her original mission, lost in conversation with the other blonde, happy to finally have someone to relate to in a way that she just could not with her brothers or even Hayley. "I was wondering if you and Stefan wanted to go out with me? Explore the Quarter, maybe do some shopping, that kind of thing."

Caroline looked perplexed at the question. Sure, during the last few minutes she had seen Rebekah as an actual human being, not just a bitch or an enemy, but that did not explain why the Original was playing so nice, especially since this had been her intention even before their little heart-to-heart. "No offense or anything, but why? I'm pretty sure that we've never liked each other."

Rebekah struggled for a few seconds to come up with a plausible excuse, but Caroline's piercing stare wore her down. Instead, she chose to go with a watered down version of the truth. "Nik asked me to. He wanted you to see the Quarter, experience New Orleans, but he's going to be away on business for the rest of the day, so he asked me to show you around."

"I thought you and Klaus weren't on good terms at the moment?" Caroline said, choosing to focus on what the Original's words implied rather than the sinking feeling in her stomach. Even after the dressing down she gave him today, Klaus was still trying to make her fall in love with him, trying to show her the world. It was insulting and heart-warming at the same time, a contradiction, as many of her interactions with the Original were.

Rebekah gave a very European shrug. "I have stuck by his side for so long that his mood swings no longer inconvenience me. Nik can hold a grudge, that's true, but he's also surprising good at letting things for family, at least if you grovel for a while."

There was something that Rebekah was leaving out, concealing, but Caroline chose not to inquire further. Something told her that it was not Rebekah's secret to tell, and the young vampire could always try to get it out of Klaus at a later moment. "I guess getting out of the house for a while would be nice." She replied, biting her lip. On one hand, her legs were sore from the long drive and she was already feeling the stuffy heat of Louisiana, but on the other hand, she was submitting herself to an afternoon with Rebekah. The girl, despite the last few minutes of decency and civility, could be a real bitch when she wanted to, something that brought out Caroline's own cattiness.

"That's great!" Rebekah said, excitedly flitting to the door. "I'll go see if Stefan wants to join up as well! Be ready to leave within fifteen minutes or so, okay?"

"Oh, and Caroline?" Rebekah said, pausing at the door to glance back at the vampire. "I've never not liked you either. Mystic Falls was nothing personal, but you and your friends were a threat to me and family, and I did what I had to do."

"I get it, Rebekah. You did what you had to protect your family, and I did what I had to do to protect my friends. No grudges." Caroline replied.

"Good. I'd like it if we could maybe start over, leave the past in Mystic Falls?" Rebekah said.

"I think I'd like that too, as odd as it sounds." Caroline said, shyly smiling at the blonde Original. With a nod, Rebekah left, noticing the awkwardness as the moment past. It was weird, that two former enemies would be so willing to bury the past, but time and distance to a funny thing to memories and quarrels. What seemed important no longer matters, and Caroline was strangely excited for the shopping trip as she picked out jewelry to match her dress. It was a new beginning for her and Rebekah, a start to a friendship that could prove magnificent for both girls.

* * *

**AN: I just wanted to say thank you so much for all of your support for this story! I'm going through a lot of stress with school winding down, but reading all the lovely reviews on this story just keeps me motivated to write more! So, THANK YOU! This chapter had a lot of fun, with set-up for the spell, and some more light-hearted moments... Next week, shopping trip, preparations for the spell, and [SPOILER] returns. Haha I'm evil... No, seriously, next week's chapter things are going to blow up, and blow up often! As always, reviews, comments are appreciated!**


	9. Nowhere Left to Run

**Chapter Nine- Nowhere Left to Run**

* * *

**AN: Thanks guys for your support! Here is the next chapter, sorry again about the delay!**

* * *

An additional set of footsteps caused Katherine to increase her pace, push her vampire speed even farther as she tried to find a suitable hiding spot in her monochromatic prison. The witches had appeared suddenly, giving no warning of their intents before they had started chanting. All four doppelgangers had been gathered in the only clearing in this never ending wood, trying to pool together their knowledge of their current prison in the faint hope of rescue represented by Davina's visit. The spell had split their skull with imaginable pain, and had flattened the other three, but Katherine with her reinstated vampire abilities had been able to run far enough away for its effects to lessen, and hadn't stopped running since. By her calculations, she must have been running for at least two days, despite how difficult it was to calculate time in this never changing prison.

It was strange, how her vampirism had returned after her demise, something that had bothered her before but she had chosen not to dwell on. Now, as the only thing that was keeping her from the same fate as the other doppelgangers, she was thankful that it kept her alive, but also bothered by it. Was it part of the Travelers' overarching plan or the act of some Other being, someone like the God her mother had worshipped in their tiny chapel? She did not know and while she had no way of finding out while stuck in this prison, the speculation gave her something to do while her legs pounded on the uneven, rocky ground.

Left foot, two more steps echoed, right foot, a third footfall set to the pursuit. They were gaining on her, aided by fresh troops and a knowledge of the terrain. Even with her vampire speed she could not keep this up forever, especially as the itch in the back of her throat had become more and more of a burning sensation as her second day of running wore on. Before, she had used her fellow doppelgangers to feed, taking small amounts from each so that they would not be affected by the bite and then compelling them to forget. Only Silas had offered up his blood voluntarily, with a throwaway innuendo and a surprising nonchalance. It was weird, how the immortal who had drained her of blood had become her quasi-friend during the last few weeks? Months? Years? She could not tell. Yet having Silas to talk to had at least helped her keep her sane, helped nurture her fighting spirit. At the same time, Katherine had learned more about the famed immortal, through unguarded glances and muttered words. She almost felt a pang about having left him behind, but that quickly passed. Katerina Petrova could feel bad about Silas and his unrequited journey for love all she wanted, but Katherine Pierce ran and ran and ran until her feet hurt and her throat burned, because she had a goal. Survive, and find a way to escape, to return back to the living.

An indefinite amount of time later, when Katherine knew beyond all doubt that they were close, too close, and she was running out of energy to outrun them, her blood already starting to dry up in her veins as she slowly desiccated. The doppelganger made a snap decision and quickly flashed up the largest tree in the area. Using some of its ample foliage to hide herself as best as she could, she shrunk down low, hoping to misdirect her followers as she formulated a plan to gain access to more blood.

"I don't hear her footsteps anymore," The broadest one said, clearly the leader, as they stopped to rest underneath a tree on the other side of the clearing. He had his back to Katherine, but if the other two even glanced up, they would spot her black boot, not completely hidden by the lower hanging branch.

"Neither do I. Where do you suppose she has gone?" The tall, skinny one with a wiry face replied.

The third one, a rotund man who was crouched over and painting said, "Knew we shouldn't have left her the vampire abilities. I said that she was the dangerous one, but did anybody listen? No. And guess who got stuck chasing her down for two bloody days? ME."

"Quit your whining, Harold. You know why she retained her vampirism. The spell requires one of each." The leader replied.

The fat one, Harold, muttered, "We could have just returned them to her right before the spell."

"Shut up!" The leader bellowed, knocking Harold down. "We lost the little bitch! She escaped from right under our noses!"

"Boss, if I may," the skinny one said, trying to ease the tension. The leader moved away from the pitiful form of Harold, whimpering on the ground, to glower at the skinny one.

"What do you want?" He growled.

"We still lack the werewolf, the vampire, and the pureblood witch on this side. If we perform the spell to connect this little holding cell to the Other Side, it gives us time to start selecting our other players while we search for the vampire doppelganger. It is not like she has anywhere to run or escape. The spell made sure of that." The skinny one said.

"Huh. And how do you propose we find her then? She has evaded us thus far." The leader said, considering.

"She ran with fresh blood coursing through her veins. If we wait a couple days, desiccation will start to set in and she will start hallucinating, weakened. She should be easy to find by that point." He explained.

"Good point. Alright, move out, back to camp. Those other doppelgangers must be stirring by now, and we have little time before the full moon if we want to open the gates to the Other Side this month." The leader said, shepherding his two followers back in the direction from which they came, Harold shuffling his feet dejectedly.

Katherine waited for a good long while until their footsteps had long since faded, and then waited for another half an hour to make sure it was not a trick. After two hours stuck up in that tree, she was sore and uncomfortable, and yet she stayed as still as possible, trying to not give away her position. Her mind had much to ponder as she tried to put together the Travelers' plans with the information she had overheard. She knew it was imperative that she remained out of their clutches, and at the same time she also knew that it was going to be hard not to be caught in their trap as she dried up without sustenance.

Eventually, as no noises were heard in the surrounding forest, she relented far enough to get down from her perch in the tree. Katherine had remained in the same spot for hours, so she started to move in the opposite direction as her pursuers, trying to find any game from which she could get any form of sustenance, but the barren forest provided none. Stumbling, she kept on walking, determined to survive and escape once more.

* * *

She had nowhere to run, but that had never stopped her in the past. Katherine Pierce survived, because that was what she did, even if it endangered others or killed those she cared about, even if it broke her spirit, her heart. That was the lesson that innocent Katerina Petrova had learned in a hut in rural England, and it had set her on a path that had led to this moment. She may lament the time she did not spend with her daughter or the time she wasted with Elijah, but she could not regret one thing.

* * *

"God no that green would look awful on you." Caroline said as Rebekah held up a yellowish green peplum top and a pair of distressed skinny jeans. Rebekah pulled a face in reply, but returned the top to its place on the hanger anyways.

"Stefan, what do you think of this one?" Caroline said holding up a pretty light blue dress as the Original moved away to the next rack of clothes.

"It's a dress, Caroline, and it looks exactly like the other twelve dresses you've showed me in that exact same color…" Stefan replied, hitting the back of his head against the wall as he sat on an uncomfortable plastic chair in the private dressing room. It was part of the special treatment they had gotten in this and all other stores they had visited. Shopping with an Original in this town had its perks: free champagne and treats, private dressing rooms with handpicked racks of clothing, and in the last store, even made to measure garments. To say the least, Caroline was on cloud nine of shopping heaven.

Stefan, however, was not. He had been appointed bag carrier early in the expedition, and the rest of the day had been following the two shopping fiends around as he was cruelly teased with the promise of record stores. "Such a spoilsport." Caroline muttered as she added the dress to her try-on pile.

"Come on Stefan, this time there's not even Nik to bring down the party!" Rebekah said, obviously a little bit tipsy. She had been hitting the champagne heavily, and had started dancing around as her favorite song came on the radio. With her vampire tolerance, she wasn't much affected by the alcohol, but the afternoon had provided her a chance to bond with both vampires, so much so that she felt at ease with them. Caroline quickly joined the Original in dancing and singing along, drowning out Stefan's attempts at a reply as they loudly sang the chorus.

As the girls finished up their duet, Stefan gave a small smile. It was nice to see Caroline enjoying herself again, especially after the whole mess with Tyler and Katherine-as-Elena. Rebekah was exactly what the blonde baby vampire needed, a friend that was not involved in the current mess in Mystic Falls, and Rebekah herself would benefit from having a normal friend, someone so positive and good like Caroline.

"Come on, Stefan, dance!" Caroline begged as the second verse began.

"No, no, no." He emphatically shook his head. "I don't dance."

"Oh, but I know you can be quite…wicked on a dance floor, Mr. Salvatore." Rebekah said, coming closer with an evil grin.

Turning towards Caroline, the Original quickly explained. "You should have seen him in the 20s. First on the dance floor and last off it at the end of the night. The ladies were quite impressed, weren't they Stefan?"

"That was another time, another place. I'm not going to make a fool of myself now." Stefan said shrinking back.

"Pretty please? I've always wanted to see somebody actually do the Charleston." Caroline said, actually batting her eyelashes in an over exaggerated move.

"No, Care." Stefan replied. "Besides, this is not even the right music for the Charleston."

Before he could finish speaking, Rebekah whizzed over to her Iphone, plugged in to the speakers, and changed the song to Lana Del Rey's 'Young and Beautiful'.

"There, that should be close enough." She said with an evil smirk and an extended hand. "Now, should we show little Caroline over there how it is done?"

Among Caroline's protests of not being little, Stefan huffed a long suffering sigh. Getting up from his seat, he took Rebekah's hand and sped off into the wild, fast Charleston. After a few seconds of watching, Caroline demanded to be taught the steps, and off went the next hour as the trio danced and laughed, clothing forgotten in a corner.

* * *

Klaus reentered the manor from his visit to the house on the bayou clutching a folder, containing the very first images of his unborn child. He had finally convinced- read intimidated and bullied his way- Hayley to get ultrasounds of their child, to make sure that everything was in readiness for the upcoming birth. The werewolf had been reluctant to see a human doctor for fear of endangering the baby, but Klaus had been determined, and nothing could stand against the hybrid when he got that particular look on his face.

The folder held the only copies from the scan, and Klaus hadn't quite gotten a chance to look at them, between compelling the doctor to forget his visit to the house on the bayou and reinforcing the compelled vampire security detail. Nothing had been done against Hayley yet, but Klaus did not want to take any chances. The Quarter was still a battlefield, with Marcel gathering supporters on the other side of the river and the witches cooking up plots of their own, not to mention the giant unknown of the werewolves. Paranoid he might be, but his paranoia would keep his child safe.

Taking a seat at his desk, cluttered with different maps of New Orleans and profiles on the big players in this ongoing war, with a smattering of art supplies thrown in, Klaus carefully took out the three pictures. The grey images on the black paper were hard to discern, even with supernatural vision, and yet in the center, he could see the tiny form of his unborn daughter. Perfect little eyes closed in repose, chubby cheeks and a mouth already downturned in a fine scowl, with tiny limbs curled in on themselves. A daughter, all his. Not Elijah's, not Rebekah's, but his own flesh and blood. At first, when he had learned of his child, he had wished for an heir, someone he could groom to be his perfect mirror, a son to teach how to hunt and ride, and all the things he had wished his own father did for him. Yet, when the news reached him of a daughter, he had been strangely relieved, because a son might always turn on him, try to take what was his just like Marcel attempted. No, a daughter would be sweet and lovely, someone he could spoil, raise in a perfect bubble. His daughter would remain his companion forever, her loyalty guaranteed by blood. His princess, the world her kingdom.

"I promise you," he whispered to the pictures, swearing an oath not just to his unborn daughter, but to himself, "anything you desire, anything you want, shall be yours. The world is going to be at your feet, sweetheart, and no one will ever take that away from you. I may not know anything about being a father, a parent, but I will keep you safe, even if you end up hating me."

A door slammed downstairs, and he heard his sister's throaty laughter joined by Caroline's higher giggle and Stefan's deep chuckle. Alarmed at the idea of those three getting along for an entire afternoon, he flashed to the top of the stairs, the pictures forgotten for the moment.

"Nik!" Rebekah called, obviously tipsy. "We're having a party! Gotta show these two old bores how we do it in New Orleans!"

"Watch who you're calling old, you wench!" Caroline said, setting the group off in laughter once more.

"Sweetheart, how much have you had to drink?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow at Caroline's odd behavior.

"A bit" the blonde answered with a mischievous smile, making a gesture with her pointer finger and thumb to indicate a fairly large amount.

"I lost count after the sixth bottle of champagne and that yum very good bourbon the nice lady offered." Stefan chimed in.

"Bekah! I told you to take them out to see the town and to shop, not to get them hammered!" Klaus said, ignoring the other two, who had started giggling once more.

Rebekah quickly sobered up, thanks in part to her Original metabolism. "Come off it, Nik, you're sounding like Elijah. We had a good time, right guys?"

"Yes!" Caroline enthusiastically replied, while Stefan nodded vigorously.

"Right, then let's go, Nik is just bringing down the party! I've got some nice whisky in my room…" Rebekah said, leading the group away from the foyer and Klaus. The hybrid was left shaking his head, bewildered at the sudden shift in alliances in just one afternoon, and feeling a little bit like his dour older brother.

* * *

"A toast!" Elijah said, standing up from his seat at the head of the dinner table. He was flanked by his sister on one side and Caroline one the other, with Stefan next to the blonde and Marcel next to Rebekah. Klaus sat on the other end of the table, cautiously watching their guests as he listened in to Davina's conversation with Josh and Bonnie.

As the party fell to a hush, the eldest Original continued, "To our guests from Mystic Falls, who made a long journey to help us, welcome, and my everlasting thanks."

Everyone raised their glasses and drank, echoing the toast with smiles. Already, Caroline and Stefan were at ease in the grandeur and splendor of the Originals, falling into step with them as if they'd been going to balls and state dinners all their lives. Bonnie, a little bit more hesitant in her acceptance, nonetheless had both Davina and the ever present, obnoxiously know-it-all Kol to guide her way.

"Miss Forbes-" Elijah said as the first course was being served. His sister was preoccupied in keeping both the Salvatore boy and the upstart Marcel busy, and the blonde vampire had been left on her own with no one to converse. The Original, however, was not after mere party chit-chat, no, he wanted to learn a bit more about the mystery that Caroline Forbes presented. Sophisticated enough to have caught his brother's attention, she had a fire that allowed her to maintain it and live through the scrapes of Mystic Falls, and a humanity that had kept not only his brother's attention, but his sister's friendship, if one judged by the previous day's revelry. In fact, it was only thanks to their supernatural healing powers that Caroline, Stefan, and Rebekah even managed to stand up this morning without keeling over, seeing how much they had drank in their excursion through the streets of New Orleans.

"Call me Caroline, please. Everyone does." The blonde interrupted with a charming smile.

"Caroline, then." Elijah replied, with a half-smile of his own as he considered the blonde over the rim of his wine glass as he took a sip. "I was wondering if you might help shed some light on a curiosity of mine?"

"Oh?" Caroline asked, her interest piqued.

"You see, I asked both my brother and my sister what was the cause of Katerina's death, but neither of them was able to actually tell me, since they got…waylaid." Elijah said, his calm face studying the blonde's. She was not very good at hiding her emotions in general, he realized, as he saw embarrassment, shame, and even a bit of lust flash across her face and settle in a deep rose blush.

"Umm yeah sure…" She mumbled, her eyes glancing at the napkin in her lap she was nervously adjusting.

"So you see, Elena fed her the cure right after graduation, and as a human, Silas drained her of her blood so he could be cured as well. After that, she began aging, fast, with grey hair and falling teeth, and umm, she was dying of old age." Caroline said, in a flustered breath. How was it possible that Elijah's casual mention of his siblings' trip to Mystic Falls had her so rattled? By all counts, she should be able to keep it together, since more than three months had passed, but judging from the crimson that stained her cheeks, she clearly wasn't as unaffected about her romp in the woods with Klaus as she'd like.

"Ah, Katerina, brought down by an enemy even she couldn't run from." Elijah said, with a bit of wry humor covering up his underlying sadness.

"I thought it was actually kind of sad at the time." Caroline admitted. She was surprised by her voicing it aloud, since at the time she had sat with her friends who had toasted the doppelganger's death, and yet the alcohol had tasted sour in her mouth. Whatever sins Katherine had committed- and there were many of those- she didn't deserve a death as ignoble as dying of a heart attack in the Salvatore mansion, surrounded by people she hated. Never mind the fact that she had tricked them all and Passengered into Elena's body, and then actually died in the same living room with her daughter's greyed body looking on. The older doppelganger had fought tooth and nail for every minute she lived, whether it was from a pursuing Klaus or a vengeful Salvatore or the unstoppable march of time, and Caroline couldn't help but harbor a tiny niggle of admiration for such a fighter.

"Really?" Elijah asked, surprised by her admission. "Why would you ever pity Katerina? I was under the assumption that it was she that killed you, as a sacrifice for my brother's ritual."

"Well, yes. But I like who I am now compared to who I was then." Caroline said, reflecting on her less than stellar human past. A bratty daughter and a jealous friend compared to an independent woman who stood up for her friends and family. There really was no comparison.

"And she wasn't a half bad dorm mate." Caroline finished with a smile.

"Katerina in a dorm, now that is something I would like to see." Elijah replied, hiding his own smile in his once again full wine glass. He couldn't help but admire this girl who could feel pity and compassion for her dying killer, who looked for the best in any situation, who freely admitted to her human faults. It took courage, no doubt about it, but it also required a certain light within that not many vampires were able to retain from their human lives. Caroline, however, positively shone with it, and Elijah could see why his brother was so attracted to the bubbly blonde. A light so bright must naturally attract a darkness as profound as his brother's. He only hoped that when Klaus was done with the girl he wouldn't completely obliterate this girl's pure spirit.

A while later, after all the dinner dishes had been cleared away and the party was now slowly breaking up into trios and couples, with Rebekah going off in the corner to speak with Marcel, Elijah and Stefan sitting down on two armchairs and talking about the merits of the 20th century vs. the 19th, and Bonnie still speaking with Davina and Josh about witchy matters. Caroline found herself once more the outcast. She didn't mind, happy to see both of her friends engaged, carefree and laughing like they hadn't in a long time, while she sorted out her thoughts.

"I guess that just leaves us, love." Klaus said, getting up from his place at the opposite end of the table. They were the only two that remained sitting at the long dinner table, everyone having either moved to the neighboring living room or the kitchen in search of dessert.

"Which means I'm just going to go…" Caroline replied, shaking her head before Klaus got any ideas. She stood up, and pushing her chair in (no sense in not having good manners, even if it was Klaus) she stood up to leave.

"Come on, Caroline, what are you planning on doing, ignoring me for the rest of your time here in New Orleans?" Klaus asked, flashing in front of her.

"Actually yes. That sounded like a pretty good plan to me." The blonde replied with her usual fire.

"Unfortunately for you, sweetheart, I happen to be very persistent, so I won't make life that easy for you if you chose to do that." Klaus said with a smirk.

"Really?" Caroline asked, a raised eyebrow telling Klaus that the blonde was not going to let this go without a fight.

"Truly. I did once promise to show you my favorite spots here, and why would I break that promise?" Klaus asked, trying to use logic with the blonde in order to get his way.

"Wouldn't be the first one this week, wouldn't it?" Caroline said, walking away from Klaus so that the hybrid wouldn't see the fresh wave of hurt on her face. It just stung like an insect bite, the more she picked at it the worse it hurt. And here, in his house, in his city, in his presence, she couldn't help but pick at it.

Klaus grabbed her elbow, preventing her from walking away from him once more. He knew that he'd hurt her, but he was getting kind of tired of chasing after the blonde. Trying one more time, he said with a serious face, the light flirtation from earlier gone: "Caroline. Just have one drink with me. As friends. Nothing more."

The blonde vampire's face scanned his quickly before resting on his eyes, taking in their complete earnestness. Caroline had seen those eyes angry, murderous, lusty, even loving, but never so unguarded. Knowing that it probably wasn't a good idea to accept, and yet knowing she would, because there was an undeniable connection between the two that just couldn't be waved away, no matter how much she tried. Just like it had been a bad idea to wear his bracelet to the ball, like it had been a bad idea to go on a date with him, to play the blonde distraction, to fight with him, to not accept going on a world tour alongside, to tell him to stay away from Mystic Falls.

"One drink. And you better make mine a strong one." She relented. Caroline had promised herself that she would not get attached to him again, that she would leave New Orleans to figure out her own life apart from Klaus or Mystic Falls, but she still had to interact with him during her stay in the city. It was for the best that she and Klaus were on good terms, especially if the spell goes wrong. And after all, he had broken his promise to her in order to help his brother, and she wasn't a completely unreasonable person. Caroline had never realized how good she had become at lying to herself.

Klaus grinned like a boy at her acceptance, the ever present evil twinkle in his eyes now an endearing quality, no longer scaring her. "Follow me, sweetheart." He said, leading her away from the living room where the others were gathered and up the stairs.

Turning into the newer wing of the house, he brought her to a stop inside an artist's paradise. The little studio was above the garage, tucked away in a little out of the way corner, but it faced the mansion's large property. One wall was entirely windows, looking out onto the bayou and part of the New Orleans skyline, while the other three were covered in pieces that were most certainly done by Klaus. Landscapes, portraits, caricatures, all signed with a familiar spiky "KM". It was any artist's paradise.

In the center of the room stood a desk crowded with paper and art supplies was a chaotic mess, the only out of tune piece in the studio. Ideas for future paintings and random sketches were mixed in with treaties and novels, showing the range of Klaus's interests. Caroline quickly left the hybrid's side to explore the place, captivated by the image it portrayed of Klaus. The glimpse he was giving her into his thoughts, into his humanity. This was the realm of Klaus, the lonely artist, not the angry hybrid, and she was shocked that he would just bring her here.

"You did all of these?" She asked redundantly.

"Yeah. I mean these are the ones I brought with me from other homes and I have some more recent ones at my studio in town, but yeah." He said, hanging his head with an uncharacteristic modesty, similar to when he'd told her about his landscape in the Hermitage. He had a smile on his face, an almost genuine one, that she couldn't help but find irresistible.

For no reason at all, she felt tears pricking the back of her eyes. Maybe it was the fact that he'd willingly showed her this place, that he trusted her, or the agony portrayed in all his art, the loneliness, but it made her care. Caroline had once tried to hurt him by feigning complete indifference, but after seeing this place, she knew that she could never even pretend again. Somethings you just cannot go back on, can't unsee, and this was one of them. Some people like Elena and Stefan poured their hearts into diaries, others like Caroline into work, and Klaus buried his own into his art. And he'd shown it to her. Maybe he couldn't quite say it in words or actions, but this was his own baby step forward.

"They are amazing." Caroline said in a breathy tone. "And I'm not saying that just to be polite."

"No. You've always been honest and direct. You wouldn't waste your time on party chit chat." Klaus said with a chuckle, as he headed towards a small cupboard, hidden by splashes of paint and a selection of colors atop it.

He soon returned with two flutes and a bottle of champagne, and a victorious grin that showed off his dimples to the best advantage. His raised eyebrow dared her not to remember their conversation at Christmas time, how champagne would always be 'their thing'. Damn him if he wasn't right, if she couldn't go near a bottle of the thing without thinking of him.

"A fine vintage I was saving for a special occasion." Klaus said.

"Well then you better put that back." She retorted.

"Love, I've never let anyone in any of my studies. This is a special occasion." Klaus said, with a look that melted her heart. He was serious, and that made the moment when their hands both reached for the champagne bottle at the same time and their hands brushed all the more charged. Klaus heard her quick intake of breath matching his own as a spark of electricity shot through them. This was supposed to be about regaining her trust, not turn romantic. He couldn't help it, however, because her mere presence was intoxicating. Klaus had had half a thought while teasing her about her confession in Mystic Falls that maybe if he got her out of his system, give in to his basic instincts once, then he'd be free of this strange connection that bound him to Caroline. Instead, it was as if it had only strengthened, had become even more heated as he knew that beneath her bubbly personality and princess look lay a lioness. He was insatiable when it came to her. The hybrid did not know if a thousand years of her would be enough for him, not that he'd ever get the chance if he didn't make amends with the blonde.

"Thank you, then." Caroline replied, hoisting up her champagne flute to break the tension. "It is wonderful in here, so peaceful."

"Peaceful, eh?" Klaus asked with a dark chuckle.

Caroline raised her shoulders in a shrug as she defended her feeling. "I've always found art in general peaceful. It is a chance to look at the world through another's eyes, to stop your worries for a while and see someone else's."

"I agree, love. My studio is where I find peace from my siblings, my own self at times." The hybrid replied, stepping a bit closer, his grin still present. "I've just never had someone describe my space as 'peaceful'. Not something I often hear."

Caroline rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile as well at the irony. "You know, you do not have to keep up the big bad hybrid charade with me." The blonde said, not meeting his searching eyes.

Klaus gave her a blasé look as he teased, "What makes you think it is a charade, sweetheart?" He asked, his light tone masking his honest curiosity. Leaning against the wall, with her smiling and laughing, surrounded by his precious art, was his definition of paradise. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder how she could even stand to be here, not when Caroline had seen the worst parts of him on so many occasions. For every good action, every compliment he paid her, he had done something awful in Mystic Falls. Still, she was here, she had decided to 'confess' to him in the woods outside the boarding house, she had told him he could be saved even as she laying dying because of him. He wanted- no, needed- to know what he had done, said, that would let her see beneath all that.

"The way you act when you think no one is watching. The care you put into each of these paintings. The fact that despite how awful you are to your siblings, you would anything to them, and you were completely destroyed by Kol's death. And, despite everything I've said and done to you, you're still here." Caroline said, lifting up her eyes to meet his. Maybe it was the champagne, or his presence that empowered her, but she couldn't help but be honest. He deserved that, at the very least. Maybe his intention for stealing her away from the party had been to make amends or maybe it was just another one of his futile romantic gestures, but it went a long way towards making amends for breaking his promise. He had shown her yet another side, the lonely artist, but more than that, he'd given her a precious gift by showing her his trust. Not many had that, and she was thankful, and even a bit humbled.

"And if I didn't know all the bad, if I was a better liar, then I would have made the trip down here a lot earlier." The blonde added, so low that if Klaus hadn't had the benefit of his supernatural hearing, he would have never heard.

"But you can't, can you, Caroline." He stated, his disappointment evident in his expression. He had been almost hopeful as she'd listed off his better qualities, but he should have known better.

"No." Caroline said, a bit sadly. "At least, not yet."

"Yet?" The hybrid asked, taken aback. Before, the blonde's rejections had always been firm, absolute in their conviction. But yet indicated hope, a possible future.

"My mother, being the sheriff, always had a black and white view of the world. The law was right, and anything else, was wrong. My father was much the same, and I was brought up that way as well. Not knowing anything beyond that, my whole world a little town and a high school, I never saw the shades of grey until I became a vampire." She said, turning towards him. "I'm nineteen in human years, forever frozen at seventeen, and this is the furthest I've ever been from home. I've never been anywhere, never had a significant period without someone or something defining my life. Head cheerleader. Miss Mystic Falls. Elena's second, bitchy best friend. Baby vampire. Tyler's girl. People have given me so many roles to play that I have accepted them and made them part of me, but I've never had time to find out who I am, apart from all that. I need time to learn for myself those shades of grey, to know where I stand among them, and I can't do that from your side."

Klaus nodded, agreeing with her. He had always seen the inner strength of the blonde baby vampire, the light that radiated from her, but it looked as if she was realizing it too. Time was something he had plenty of, and it was what she needed at the moment. Her speech, however, indicated hope, a desire to understand him on her part,that was enough for him at the moment. Recalling his own words at the decade dance, he said, "I guess my words were prophetic, love."

_You mark my words. Small-town boy, small-town life, it won't be enough for you_. His words from the dance, so long ago it seemed and yet less than a year had passed before they actually came true. Caroline gave a soft smile, but did not reply. They both knew the truth in their words, the emotions that their unfeeling hearts had poured into them, and that was enough. For now.

Klaus had to take a gulp of champagne to hide the lump in his throat. The moment had passed, and only now did they both realize that it had ventured too close to the heart of the matter, too close to open wounds and healing scars, and it was time to take a step back. Progress, significant one, had been made that night, and it warmed his heart in a way only Caroline could do. It almost reminded him of humanity and the feeling of having your heart beat faster in excitement, unlike the steady monotone of his undead life. Noticing that the champagne bottle was considerably lighter, he tried to divert the conversation to a safer topic. "I'm going to go grab us some more champagne, sweetheart."

His soft tone indicated that they were done talking of feelings for the night, something that Caroline already instinctively knew. They had ventured too close to the mark, to the unspoken elephant in the room, and the evening needed to return to more light hearted topics.

"Would you mind if I took another look around?" Caroline asked, hitching to see some of the paintings up close, to scrutinize and analyze them without Klaus's unflinching eyes.

"Of course not, love. Look to your heart's content." The hybrid said as he left, dimples in full exhibit, the empty champagne bottle carelessly held in his left hand.

* * *

Caroline wondered around for a few minutes, mulling over both the conversation and Klaus's paintings. They really were stunning, works of art that could have been shown in museums around the world, not that she ever doubted. It seemed that despite having the devil's own temperament, Klaus had not only the face of an angel, but the hands of one. Finally, she sat down in the high backed chair behind his desk, unable from stopping a little giggle as she spun around.

The desk was a jumbled mess that tugged at her OCD tendencies, and yet she hitched to explore it. Listening with her vampire hearing, she heard no footsteps, so she gingerly set about to poke around in the pile. Half drawn sketches (she noticed with pleasure one that seemed to be of her) and a copy of the treaty between the warring sides of New Orleans lay side by side, while different ideas for colors occupied yet another pile.

Caroline was perfectly happy puttering about his desk, sort of invading his privacy (it wasn't like she'd taken his phone, so it wasn't that big of a deal, she justified), mentally cataloguing each new piece of evidence about this new side of Klaus. At one point, about halfway through the mess, she came upon a yellow manila envelope that didn't fit the whole tortured artist-king vibe that had characterized each piece before. Her curiosity piqued, she flipped it over, since there were no labels on the front.

The back simply read 'Hayley'.

* * *

Klaus was uncommonly happy as he made his way back to his studio, so much so that he didn't even stop to chastise his sister and Marcel, who were sitting too close together for casual conversation in the living room. It had, of course, everything to do with Caroline, despite his earlier protests. It seemed that showing her that hidden part of himself, opening up to her, had enabled her to show him some of her own feelings in return, which exhilarated him. Mystic Falls had been the first confirmation of feelings on her own part, that he hadn't spent a year pursuing her for naught, and today was the proof. To be loved by Caroline, now that was a challenge which he might actually enjoy the reward, unlike this silly war for the Quarter, which could be over within minutes if he so chose.

Opening the door, the hybrid froze. Caroline was sitting behind his desk, holding the yellow manila folder with Hayley's ultrasound pictures, and she was holding one of the black slides up to the light.

Hearing the door open, Caroline lifted her eyes up to the hybrid's shocked ones. The blue, so warm and smiling just minutes before, had turned an ice color, cold enough to pierce a man's soul. Klaus saw no anger, no reproach, not even jealousy there. Just complete indifference, an apathy that froze his heart.

"You didn't tell me congratulations were in order." The blonde said, setting down the ultrasound.

* * *

**AN: OH OH... Caroline knows about the baby... Klaroline's conversation about it and the spell are coming up next chapter! Thanks for all your reviews, and I apologize if I haven't gotten around to answering them, I will get on that next week as I wrap up exams, but know that I love reading each and everyone of them!**

**By the way, if there is anyone who is willing to make a cover for this story, I'd be eternally grateful! I've been trying to mess around with a couple of options, but they all stink and I know that there are some wonderfully creative people out there... Unfortunately, I'm not one of them :) PM me if you're interested!**


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